Hearts of True Steel
by Ray O'Neill
Summary: What 2B desired more than anything was for the cycle of suffering to stop, what she got in return however wasn't what she wanted. Now faced with a world that is foreign to her, will she keep hanging on her past or find new meaning in existence and move forward.
1. Sad Departure

_Everything that lives is designed to end. _

_We are perpetually trapped... in a never-ending spiral of life and death. _

_Is this a curse? _

_Or some kind of punishment? _

_I often think about the god who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle... and wonder if we'll ever have a chance to kill him._

…

_These thoughts have replayed in my mind so many times as I marched across this broken desolate world._

_Duty and personal desire clashing repeatedly against one another with every step I take._

_The ever growing hatred within me for those that bestowed us with the gift of emotion. _

_Little did I know that one day I would desperately fight to suppress that very desire._

_Everything had changed._

_Whether it was for better or worse it was too early for me to tell. _

_Too early to decide if should dedicate myself to him… or just murder him._

* * *

Within an old factory the sound of liquid dripping echoed in synch with the sounds of one of the circuits sizzling in conjunction and the ear piercing noise of metal being cut.

The silhouettes of two individuals laid motionless within the center of the room. A boy and a girl that could have been mistaken as brother and sister given how similar their physical features matched in addition to the clothes they sported. Both sharing the same pure white hair and pale skin tone, wearing Goth like black clothes as well as the same cloth like visor shielding their eyes from the world.

They were 2B and 9S, members of the elite military force known as the YoRHa. Soldiers in the service of the enigmatic organization known as the Council of Humanity.

Warriors created in the image of mankind.

Both were an almost perfect replication of the race that had dominated the planet Earth for millions of years.

They represented the pinnacle of technology and artificial intelligence.

Androids.

Sentient machines capable of independent thought, action, and emotion.

The legacy of the race that once flourished on the planet but left it behind together with all its history due to being decimated by alien invaders, forced with no alternative but to seek sanctuary on the moon.

Cowards… that was what many of the YoRHa members concluded about their creators and so called gods… but it wasn't without reason. Humanity had faced many hardships within the last ten millenniums, leading it to being a mere shadow of its former glory.

They couldn't be blamed for not being perfect beings.

Yet… just as flawed as the human race was, so were the androids.

Perhaps they sought to project their image of perfection they desired upon their creations.

An irony of sorts.

In the quest of creating something grander than themselves they had instead created something as flawed if not even more so than they were.

Such ideas had constantly haunted the android known as 2B.

What was the reason for her existence and why it was without value?

A simple wandering thought crossed her mind, should she meet her creators face to face, would she ask for answers or just simply kill them off?

That thought replayed in her mind as she looked down upon 9S, at the broken and shattered parts of his body and her own sword piercing through his chest once again.

A weak cough was heard as 9S tried to reach out to his partner, his trembling hands trailing on the blade as all he knew seemed to shatter and scatter. Confusion overlaid with betrayal raged within him as he tried to understand. ''2…B… w-why?''

There was no reply.

Only a cold impassive expression was all he could see as 2B twisted her blade and ripped it out together with a good chunk of 9S's insides.

It was akin to a mercy kill, over before he knew it keeping the physical pain short-lived, but most of all keeping brief the emotional pain.

Dark blood like liquid dripped from the blade of the androids sword as she stared at her partner's broken carcass that now lay before her.

''_How many times was it that I was forced to end things like this?''_

2B wasn't sure anymore.

She long stopped keeping count of the exact amount of times she terminated her partner. After the number reached fifty, she stopped keeping track, lest she would go insane from it all.

Perhaps by now the numbers had reached the triple digits.

That thought made her hands clench in a mixture of guilt and anger.

As she stood there silently a box like machine levitated next to her, its sensors directed at the now terminated 9S.

''[All vital signs of YoRHa unit No. 9 Type S have been terminated. The elimination of the target has been successful.]''

2B's teeth grit against each other as she tried to hold back the rage and frustration within her that threatened to explode out of her. She was already aware of this, her support unit didn't have to remind her. It only made things more unbearable for her. This must be what the humans meant by rubbing salt on the wound. ''…Shut up.''

The pod did as it was ordered, concluding that any further information exchange would not prove beneficial for either of them.

The android put her weapon back and began to slowly to walk away, each one of her steps felt heavy and sluggish, an invisible weight felt like it was pressing down on her shoulders as she headed back to the home base.

The remains could be collected later to salvage any working parts, a different unit would handle that task. As it stood she didn't have the emotional strength to deal with it.

No matter how much she tried to maintain a mask of indifference, there just wasn't any way for her to discard her emotions. Through those cracks in her mask tears would somehow always find a way to pour out from within.

The cycle had once again come to an end.

Tomorrow it shall start anew once more.

The fight for the sake of this forsaken world still rages on, and so it shall for a much longer time to come.

For there was no end in sight.

* * *

Time had passed once more, and the two YoRHa units had once again been deployed to carry out their duty.

''This place sure looks old…'' 9S stated curiously.

''Indeed.'' 2B replied stoically as they made their way through the tunnels they were searching.

When the two YoRHa androids were deployed today for their reconnaissance mission things truly had escalated beyond their control.

The scanner model android known as 9S laughed tiredly as he recalled the ambush they had to deal with. ''Who would've thought our battle with that goliath class machine would uncover an underground facility.''

''I was surprised myself.'' 2B nodded elegantly.

When the two of them arrived in the area, they immediately used their Pods to scan for anything out of place in this underground facility that didn't appear on their scanners.

A cloaking device perhaps that reflected the signal?

After all it was only after a Goliath class machine ambushed them and started destroying everything in its path with its deranged attacks that the ground shattered and revealed a hidden stair case below.

The possibilities were there, but that wasn't the main concern she faced. If someone did indeed go out of their way to hide this location from their scanners they must have had a good reason to do so.

Something was down there, of that they were certain of.

Their journey through the tunnels had been eerily without any problem. The place was quiet… far too quiet for her liking. All 2B could hear was the sound of her heels clicking against the metal floor as she continued to walk along the path before them.

After about half an hour later they finally reached the end of the passage as a large metallic door now appeared in front of them. There were several locks and chains placed on it to prevent trespassers from entering but to the YoRHa androids it would pose little no challenge to break through.

2B reached for the long cybernetically enhanced sword levitating on her back, her thin fingers wrapping on its decorated hilt.

The white haired woman didn't immediately cut the door open; instead she turned her head to the side at the levitating machinery that was Pod 042. ''Pod scan the room ahead.''

The petite device acknowledged its directive with a beeping sound before reporting its results. ''[Scan complete: No hostile signatures detected.]''

2B nodded as she unleashed her sword with cold grace and elegance, swiftly dismantling the door.

A cloud of dust erupted as the remains were kicked in. The pods activated their search lights and began a perimeter search in the room.

When the two androids stepped inside they both looked over the room curiously but were hindered by the darkness.

9S looked over at his pod and asked. ''Does this place have any power left?''

''[Searching.]'' The pod beeped as it levitated around the room. ''[Energy generator located.]''

The pod's front opened and from it several wires erupted forth and began connecting to an old electric generator starting it up.

Steam erupted from the generator as the lights began flickering on and off until the room fully powered up. When the lights were working properly the two YoRHa units were taken aback at what they found.

''What is this place?'' 2B inquired.

It was a circular room with a very large platform in the middle. Circling around the platform were large stone pillars, each of them embedded with dozens of palm sized jewels, with one ball size jewel resting on the top of each pillar. Beneath the platform dozens of cables were spread out to every corner of the room.

2B gazed at the platform floor, a very intricate circle was drawn upon it, with symbols and writings that she couldn't find in her database. If she would compare the image in front of her to anything it would perhaps be similar to the symbols drawn by various occult cults of old.

While 2B tried to discern the meaning of the pattern in the center of the room, 9S was investigating the area that surrounded the circle.

''Maybe this was some kind of research facility?'' 9S trailed as he waltzed around taking note of all the old computers and electronic devices, wondering if this was what humans felt when they visited museums.

Glove covered hands caressed the surface of one of the computers, feelings of awe began building inside 9S. It wasn't every day that one found such antiques, most of humanities old creations that were left on earth had either been scrapped for pieces or destroyed by the ravages of time or other reasons. To 9S these were relics, a legacy of mankind, and if he were technical about it these inventions were his predecessors. These machines were the closest thing humanity had to intelligent machinery before androids like him came into being. ''Such old models… they must be from way before the Aliens first invaded us.''

2B could feel the excitement her partner was experiencing, but she for one couldn't care less about it. ''Do you think you can hack them?''

The teen like android nodded sheepishly as he took off his glove as a plug soon came forth from his wrist connecting into one of the computers. ''Hacking them isn't the issue, but rather whether the data inside of them is still intact is the decisive factor.''

In all honesty 9S was feeling somewhat awkward hacking into the computer with such an old fashioned method, but these models were just so old that he couldn't even connect remotely to them like he did with other machine life forms.

''Can you do it or not?'' stated 2B as she directed her gaze to 9S.

''… Yes ma'am.'' 9S laughed nervously.

While 9S was annoyed he couldn't hack into the computers remotely, he could still use the computer he was currently connected to as an interface and then use it to hack into all of the nearby computers at the same time.

It didn't take long for the Scanner model to finish his job, his smile on succeeding being short lived when he received the end results of his scan. ''As I thought most of the data has been damaged, but there are some files left intact.''

''9S?'' 2B called out for her partner as he suddenly went silent.

''This is incredible 2B, these files really are from before the YorHa units or the Aliens first invasion, they're from the time humans were still prospering on earth.'' 2B for one wanted to sigh at 9S's excitement, but she was used to his curious nature, all scanner models were as such. Though she could understand his excitement to some extent, in this day and age it was extremely rare to find data from humanities glory days outside of the data they had in the servers back at base. ''I will upload them to that screen.''

The screen of the large computer on the nearby wall lit up and on it a title was displayed. 2B tilted her head all too slightly in mild curiosity as she read it. ''Project Blue hope?''

9S was just as confused as she was and yet it didn't stop his excitement as he scrolled through the files. ''Probably the name of whatever experiment was held here. Besides it, all of the remaining files seem to be journal entries.''

The screen went static and a girl in her early twenties was now displayed, her long red hair reminded 2B of the android twins Devola and Popola.

''_**Journal entry 25: **__Another day has passed and another ten thousand or so people have died. Truly humanity is slowly getting wiped out and yet Alaya has yet to take action and send the counter force. The world is in utter chaos; both the human scientists and the moonlit world's mages are unable to find a cure or a way to isolate the white plague. People are dying left and right and we can't stop it. I have already lost many loved ones to it… even my mother Aoko was a victim… and with her death we lost one of humanities only hopes of survival as she took the secrets of the Blue with her to the grave. Whatever bits and pieces I learned about it before her death I fear it may not be enough for the project to succeed... but even so I still struggle to make it real. '' _

When the entry finished the two androids were left confused by it.

''A white plague?'' 2B was the first her thoughts.

9S on the other hand knew what the woman was talking about. ''She must be referring to the white chlorination syndrome. Many of our records speculate that the starting point of the world's downfall was the spreading of the white chlorination syndrome. Even to this day they haven't been able to determine where the source of the disease truly originated from.''

The white chlorination syndrome was indeed one of the many mysteries left behind by humanity. The Maso particles that caused this plague were still present on the Earth even to this day without a cure ever being found.

That aside, there was another part in the recording that made 2B ponder. ''What do you think this 'Blue' she speaks of was?''

9S could only shrug. ''Hard to say, I doubt she was referring to the color so I guess it could have been some kind of device or substance that might have been able to help with creating a cure for the Maso particles.''

''Let's see if the other entries can shed some light.'' The female android suggested.

''On it.''

''_**Journal entry 68: **__I fear that Alaya has no means to correct this tragedy. Speculations and theory comparisons led me to the conclusion that the reason for this is because the Shinjuku incident in 2013 which was caused by forces outside of own world's jurisdiction. A domino effect must have triggered with the slow degradation of humanity and Alaya's influence must have weakened enough for Gaia to bring her back under her control. As it stands us humans are by ourselves… we cannot expect salvation, the only salvation left for us is one made by our own hands. We have to find a way to survive.'' _

''Forces outside of our world?'' 9S muttered as he tried to draw a conclusion. If the Shinjuku incident was caused by something outside of our world, it may explain why humanity had failed to cure the Maso particles. If they were foreign in nature then humanity might have failed to understand them as they worked in a different way from their point of logic. ''The alien race perhaps?''

That conclusion had some merits, to this day the amount of information they had on the alien race that attacked the earth was limited. They still didn't know why they even attacked in the first place, where they came from, how they survive, how they reproduce, or many other such similar questions were still unanswered.

All that 2B needed to know was that they were long dead, and the world was a better place without them. Right now she had other concerns.

''Again she mentions this Alaya…'' 2B pondered slowly as she looked over to her pod. ''Do we have any records about any individual going by this name?''

''[Negative. Unable to locate anyone of relevance under that name in our database or in recorded human history. Conclusions: Alaya was a title or codename, not the real name of the person, or her existence was never officially recorded.]''

Both 2B and 9S weren't really that surprised. Ever since humanity started spiraling down many events and people of importance were forgotten and never properly recorded. Who knows, perhaps this Alaya was indeed a person of major importance but he/she was never properly recorded in their data banks.

A new entry was played, this time the woman was noticeably older.

''_**Journal entry 102: **__Humanity gave up on trying to find a cure against the Maso particles, instead we started to develop means to separate the soul and body into separate entities. What a joke… the project Gestalt proposed by the Atlas Institute will only end in tragedy. I and many of my associates are in accord with this, we don't know how long it will be before it will be completed, but what we do know is that we won't go through the process and instead focus on the project Blue Hope that I implemented. They laughed at it at first but as things keep escalating they are slowly coming to accept my proposal. Science alone won't save humanity, what it needs for it to survive is a miracle, magic. I have to recreate the Blue to go back and stop all of this from ever happening.''_

''Magic she says?'' 9S scratched his cheek unsure of what to believe.

If 2B was curious before now she was completely skeptical if the woman's words were to be trusted. ''Inconceivable. Magic is nothing more than superstition, false fabrication to justify things that can't be comprehended by one's mind.''

''That may be so, but this woman seemed to believe in it.'' 9S commented meekly. ''Who knows, maybe what she was developing was something thought be impossible from a logical stand point. Some of the old human records say that in its early age mankind justified acts such as flight or the harvesting of electric energy as magic.''

''Play the next entry.'' 2B demanded, not interested in such trivial matters.

The woman had changed quite a bit. Age starting leaving its marks on her face, her skin losing its healthy tone, deep bags hanging beneath her eyes. It was obvious that the woman was overworking herself with this project.

''_**Journal entry 176:**__ How didn't I see this coming… the changes happening around the world are affecting the planet itself. The world's mana is changing and is slowly becoming far too toxic for us to utilize and convert into prana, and to invoke the Blue a vast amount of energy will be required. By some luck the remnants of the Edelfelt family were able to aid us with their gem magecraft. It won't be enough to solve the issue but we should manage to store and purify enough prana to perform a number of trial experiments. We won't have many chances, after each usage the resources will grow fewer and fewer. It will be a miracle if we will be able to perform one true invocation of the Blue once the trials are done. Tomorrow we shall receive new equipment from the Atlas Institute as they finally approved of the project. I only hope that it's not too late. ''_

Mana, prana, magecraft. Other foreign terms they had no records of. 2B was growing worried that this was just a wild goose chase and the woman in the recordings wasn't sane to begin with.

''I guess this prana must be an energy source of some kind for what they needed. They must have been desperate to finish the experiment if they were running out of energy to use.''

''Use for what is what I want to know.'' 2B commented as she tried to place the pieces together and solve this puzzle.

Another entry was played, the woman had aged once again. Any trace of the youthful and vibrant lady that appeared in the first entry was all but gone. There was barely any of her beautiful red hair left, her face covered in wrinkles.

''_**Journal entry 187:**__ Hope seems more and more an illusion with each passing day. I managed to slow down the symptoms but it's too late… I have also been infected with the Maso particles. Time is running out and it won't be long before I will also turn to dust and vanish, yet my will is still strong. I will complete the project and save humanity. Everything is set and ready for the trials, tomorrow the first experiment will be held… I can only pray that it will work.''_

''So she also was infected…'' 9S remarked, displaying pity for the woman.

2B shared the same emotion as 9S but hid it beneath a mask of stoicism. ''It was to be expected, it's hard to believe she managed to live so long without contracting it.''

The Maso particles have scattered all over the world, there was no safe place from them. The woman did mention she managed to slow down the symptoms, but that was all that she could do. Who knows what kind of physical and mental anguish she must have had to endure while struggling to create a hope for humanity.

The two androids had to give the woman credit for that.

With some trepidation 9S played the next entry and instantly felt regret as he saw how the woman appeared.

She was now a shell of what she once was; her eyes that burned before with unyielding conviction were now hollow and lifeless. A mirror image to how an androids eyes look when they are terminated.

There was no need for words. The woman had given up on all hope.

''_**Journal entry 205:**__ It brings me great pain and shame to say this, but it is the truth… the project has failed… our last hope has all been for nothing. I was able to recreate the Blue to some extent, a vastly inferior copy but still able to perform its task, however the thing that ruined us was our own inherited human weakness. The tests performed have confirmed my fears, no human can survive the process, all of the subjects had their bodies mangled and shattered no matter how much they reinforce or protected their bodies. I had succeeded in creating a means of survival, but there isn't anyone that can utilize it. ''_

The woman then started laughing, but it wasn't one of amusement but out of absolute despair. She was laughing because it was the only thing she could do, all while crying her eyes out.

''_I can only feel pity to whoever shall read these journals as there is no hope left. Humanity has lost, we have no future.''_

Cracks formed into the woman's face, quickly spreading all over her body. It wasn't long before her body started disintegrating into chlorite. The last sight the two YoRHa units saw before the woman was completely gone was her crashing to her knees, crying as her body began vanishing into the wind. _''I'm sorry mother… you're daughter has failed you… she failed mankind.''_

The screen shortly faded to black, the final file they had available had been played and it may have caused more harm than good.

2B sat in cold silence as she monitored every single reaction from 9S, a cold fear lingering in her as she witnessed the disturbed look on her partners face.

''_No…''_

''2B…?'' the scanner began slowly, his voice shaken and frightened.

The protocol has begun.

2B's hand slowly reached for the sword floating behind her.

''_Please…. don't…''_

She dreaded that 9S would realize the truth. ''…Yes?''

The childlike YoRHa turned to face her, the look of sheer despair all over his face. This in turn caused despair in the female android, even though her face showed no trace of it.

Her hand wrapped around the swords handle.

Why must things always end like this?

Why must she always have to suffer this pain?

Why was she given emotions if they only caused her harm?

Why did she always have to kill the person she grew to care for?

''_Don't do it.''_

A black gloved hand was pointing at the screen, the dreadful realization forming in the young scanners mind. ''T-These journals… does this mean that mankind is-''

2B just wanted to scream in frustration, once again the cycle was reaching an end, only to soon start again and repeat itself.

As she was about to draw her blade both pods began to send alarm signals. ''[Alert: Incoming hostile signatures.]''

The female android wasn't sure if she was supposed be relieved or annoyed at this point. Perhaps this would serve as a distraction and keep 9S from probing any more than he was allowed to.

''[Proposal. Prepare for immediate combat.]''

Both androids responded and drew their technologically enhanced weapons, ready and focused on the nearby door. Shortly they began hearing the sounds of metal clanking getting closer and closer.

9S set aside his theories and activated his sensors, noticing the fluctuations of power running through the room. ''They must have picked up the energy surge when we turned the power back up.''

Just when the noise felt like it was just outside the room, it suddenly went silent. 9S didn't like this and sent a message to his pod to scan outside.

''Above us!'' 9S shouted as the ceiling broke down and from it a machine descended. It wasn't a goliath class but it was still vastly larger than the two androids. The enemy machine seemed to have modeled its physical appearance to that of a snake. Near it dozens of standard model machines were marching in a crazed daze.

The snake machine charged at them with its large head, 2B and 9S jumping in different directions to avoid the blow. Tremors filled the room when it hit the wall, smashing its way through it.

Its head seemed to have got stuck and could not back up, as such it began digging forward, leaving the heavy work to the smaller machines.

2B dashed forward and slid on the floor, slashing one of the incoming machines in half. Sparks and metal pieces flew all around as she pounced to another nearby machine, piercing her sword in between its eyes, twisting and forcing her sword out, and shattering the machines head.

She swung her sword to the side, getting rid of any oil and other fluids as she counted the number of remaining enemies. ''Two down, thirty to go.''

9S while not battle specialized like his partner was also proving his worth on the battle field. He was cutting his way through the enemy machines while his pod was helping him with long range support fire.

He sliced through one of the machines as he reached the center of platform and ordered his pod to keep continuous fire on the enemies coming from the broken ceiling. He hoped it would weaken them enough making it easier to take them down as they came to him, and if he was lucky enough perhaps destroy a couple of them while he was at it too.

Tremors filled the room once again and 2B frowned as she realized what was approaching, she latched onto her pod and ordered it to go up. Seconds later the snake machine broke through the wall and almost caught 2B in its rusty mouth.

2B seeing that the machine was right beneath her let go of her pod and readied her sword. The machine let out a shriek as 2B stabbed her blade in its head, making it go out of control. Its body wiggling and crashing all over the room, destroying whatever was unfortunate enough to be in its way.

The two YoRHa models were both busy with their own battles, unable to go and support each other. They were so focused on their tasks that they failed to take note of the small group of dwarf type machines that sneaked toward the unguarded main computer, their plugs connecting to it, trying to hack and see if they could cause the base to explode.

They couldn't find a self-destruct sequence like they wanted, but they did find something they could manage to do so with.

9S decapitated one of the machines and went for another one, only for him to freeze temporarily as the giant circle on the platform he was on began glowing.

His pod was first to respond. ''[Alert: Unknown energy source has been activated and is quickly rising.]''

2B saw this and realized she no longer had time to waste, she had no idea what was going on and 9S was surrounded from every direction.

Her sword was stuck and refused to come out, the snakelike machine also didn't calm down and continued trying to get rid of her. She clicked her teeth in annoyance and decided to get her hands dirty… literally.

She forcefully shoved her hands directly into the machines head and digging them through it as far as she could reach, grabbing onto whatever cables, wires, and tubes she could find.

With a mighty battle cry she pulled her arms outside, ripping whatever parts were unfortunate enough to get caught together with her arms. An echoing shriek followed, the lights in the machines eyes slowly turning off as it crashed down on the floor.

Just as 2B managed to pick herself up her pods alarm rang. ''[Alert: Energy levels are reaching critical points. Meltdown is imminent.]''

This only made the female android bite down on her lip angrily in frustration. She ripped out her sword and dashed towards the platform where 9S was still fighting.

The moment her heels touched the platform the jewels within the surrounding pillars began glowing and generating even more energy, traveling and collecting at the center where 9S was.

9S noticed 2B approaching and wanted to call out to her and warn her not to come any close, the energy readings he was getting was something he had no data of, so there was no telling what could happen.

Just as one of the machines was about to stab him the floor erupted with power, lightning like energy was dancing everywhere and was surging through his body, his systems going out of control, immeasurable pain invading his mind. ''Agghhhh!''

''9S!'' the female android called out as she tried to get closer, but the energy surge was creating some kind of force barrier, slowing her down and preventing her from reaching him. ''Get out of there!''

''[Alert: Energy levels are off the charts. Proposal: Evacuate the area immediately!]''

The warning from her pod only made things worse. Out of panic and concern she improvised and climbed atop a nearby pillar, high enough where the surge of power didn't reach. 2B transferred all power to her legs and shot herself towards 9S, the force proving enough to pierce the barrier and reach him. Before the pain from the surge of energy could reach her sensors she grabbed her partner by the arm and shoved him away with all the strength she could muster, freeing him from the platform.

9S crashed into one of the computers and gasped in pain, his vision was in static, the energy surge messing with his systems. Yet, even in such a state his concern wasn't for himself, but for the woman that meant everything to him.

His messed up systems wouldn't allow him to stand up or walk properly, so he could only crawl his way back to his partner. The sounds of her screams only made him feel disgusted with himself for letting her take his place.

As soon as he almost reached the platform the energy seemed to have changed, it started entering the circle in the floor and surging directly into the markings within it. 9S gritted his teeth as he couldn't climb the platform and desperately reached out for his partner. ''2B!''

Within the screams 2B was able to hear him, gazing sorrowfully at him, her chest aching as she saw how far he going for her sake. It moved her but at the same time it hurt her as she knew she didn't deserve it.

''I-I'm sorry!'' A bittersweet smile formed on 2B's lips as the circle erupted in blinding light.

''2B!'' the child like android shouted as he tried to reach her.

The light slowly died down and the android stared silently at his arm… or where his hand and forearm was supposed to be. The section from his elbow down was gone, a perfect clean cut, his fluids slowly leaking out from the stump left of his arm.

''[Energy source has dissipated, all signatures on the platform have ceased.]''

The eyes behind the visor widened in shock as the platform was now empty. Not even a bolt or screw left from the machines he killed earlier.

However the thing that truly affected him was the lack of someone important. ''2B…?''

''[Unable to locate the black box signal of YoRHa No. 2 Type B. Possibility: The energy discharge has vaporized her on a molecular level.]

''No, no, no, no, NO!'' He failed to protect her… she was gone… all because he couldn't take care of himself. ''2BBBBBBBBBBBB!''

Just because he knew that they were androids and their bodies could be rebuilt and replaced as long as their data was intact, it didn't make the pain of losing the person he loved any less bearable.

Little did 9S knew that light didn't destroy 2B, it merely took her somewhere else.

Somewhere where he could never reach.

* * *

Shirou Emiya sighed as he picked up a broken bottle and threw it in the trash bag he was holding.

The boy was always ready and willing to help whoever asked for his services no matter how difficult or tiring it may sound. Such was the case when his guardian and older sister figure Taiga Fujimura asked him to help her with a little trouble she found herself in.

Apparently she and her fellow college students went camping in the forest nearby the city for a couple of days as a sort of last get together before they all graduated. As one could expect they all went wild there with all the eating and drinking leaving a giant mess behind.

Taiga managed to convince Shirou to help her and go pick up the trash left behind in her place. Shirou easily deduced that Taiga must have went piss drunk and caused chaos there, hence why she was the one designated to clean it all up.

Normally Taiga wouldn't ask for Shirou to clean her mess up like this but in this case she didn't have much of a choice since she had to finish her teacher's license project. Thus Taiga had to rely on her favorite surrogate little brother for help and promised to make it up to him one day.

The boy in all honesty feared the poor students that would soon start learning under the woman that was more of a child than he was.

Shirou eventually accepted her request and went to the forest to clean up the area and almost cursed Taiga for the mess left behind. Now he understood why Taiga gave him a cart and a whole box of plastic bags when he headed out.

That being said Shirou had spent the last two to three hours picking up the trash, wondering how the hell did such a small group of people managed to drink so much beer in a span of three days? He already filled three full sacks with empty beer cans alone!

As he threw another can inside the new trash bag Shirou sighed and leaned against a nearby tree. Thankfully he just about done with this and could soon get back home and get on with his other chores.

Now that he took a moment to look around, the forest was quiet and tranquil, a real one eighty compared to how his house usually was whenever Taiga visited him. It wasn't that Shirou didn't enjoy her company but the woman had far too much energy, which she fails to use in any way besides munching on his food or teasing him.

A cool wind breeze brushed against his skin as he admired the serene atmosphere of nature before him. His eyes eventually landed on a squirrel that was sitting on a tree branch. Such a cute little thing he observed as it fussed over itself.

Much to his surprise and confusion however the squirrel suddenly arched itself upward acting weirdly. The squirrel shook its body violently as if sensing something but unsure of what it is. Not even a second later passed however before the squirrel just bolted away as fast as it could, as if death itself was chasing after it.

Shirou failed to understand what had happened, he was human after all and lacked the keen instinct that animals possessed, instincts that sensed something was about to happen.

There was a shiver that ran down Shirou's back and made him turn around to stare at the sky. A freak sudden change was taking place above him, a sort of distortion forming only a couple of yards away. A fissure formed where distortion was taking place, azure blue light erupting forth from it, threatening to blind the young man.

The light was so intense that Shirou had to protect his eyes, just as the light seemingly exploded and scattered. A strong gust of wind spread out along with it, reaching Shirou and almost making him fall on his back form the sheer force of it.

''What the hell was that?!'' the boy snapped as he spit to the side, the powerful gust of wind had caused all of the dust in the area to rise up with a big amount of it ending up in Shirou's mouth that was open in shock of it all. When the dust cleared Shirou looked over to where the distortion was, and was shocked to see there was nothing there anymore. His mind kept trying to make heads or tails over what just happened. ''An explosion?''

The boy eventually managed to get over his shell shocked state and began walking over to where the unknown occurrence took place. In all honesty he felt somewhat like an idiot for potentially going toward to where some crazy terrorist may be testing his bombs. But still someone might have gotten caught up in the explosion and possibly got hurt, he would only check the area and then be out of here before another one could take place.

In spite of all this a lone thought wandered through the boys mind. ''I hope this isn't Fuji-nee's fault.''

* * *

**Author notes:**

**And that's a wrap everyone. This one shot has took me so long to write but I feel I managed to write an incredible story. **

**OK! That's enough of me talking shit.**

**Obviously this isn't over so don't go biting my head off in the reviews.**

**So time for some context of wtf is going. **

**One of this sites most generous readers Alex-kellar has once again hosted a fanfic contest and this shall be my entry for it. He overall made a list of waifu options to use and when I saw 2B I knew I had to take a stand. **

**My knowledge of nier automata was rather lacking so I went balls deep and researched. If there are mistake it can't be helped.**

**There was a surprisingly lack of fanfics involving 2B and the nier series in general, (I mean there are some but not as many as I expected) which is weird considering how much artwork you can find of 2B (especially the porn! Jesus!)**

**From the few that I managed to give a read, I didn't notice any with our favorite androids witnessing a not f*cked up world. **

**So regarding the premise of this story. Well I could have use the Zelretch card but at this point even I got bored of seeing it everywhere so instead I tried something a bit different. (not that much but still).**

**I know I'm probably stretching a lot of stuff here with how I'm merging the nier and fate/stay night time lines but I think that the way I did is less BS than other stories that I read. Plus nasu verse operates on multiverse and there are a lot of different alternate timelines, some of which hit the bad end for the world like Notes novel. **

**Also 9S, I love you and all man, I really do, but for this story you will have to take the backseat.**

**Time frame wise, this is taking 2 years prior to the start of 5****th**** grail war. A little for 2B to adapt before shit hits the fan with the grail war.**

**Anyway this will be a short story for the moment, I already wrote the material for 4 chapters which cover the minimum word quota required for the contest. The chapters themselves will also be short ones, not over 20000 words like how my usual ones are. For the next weeks I will post 4 chapters in total and depending how this thing gets received I might make it a long running series.**

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	2. Steel determination

Deep within the forest one could find a small open area surrounded by trees, a secret spot that only a few people knew of. A nice and quiet place where one could camp enjoying the beauty of nature or simply go for a picnic with friends and family.

If any of the people that were here before would see the current state of the place they would be saddened without a doubt. The grass in the surrounding area had been carbonized, and the earth itself was blackened beyond recognition. In the very center of it all, a small freshly formed crater could be seen with smoke rising from it.

Deep within the crater the erratic sound of electronics short circuiting could be heard as the stench of the acrid smoke continued to waft up from the source.

2B slowly opened her eyes as her systems came back online, vision going static as she tried to assess the current situation.

''_What happened?''_ the android thought as she recalled what happened before her systems froze. She pushed 9S away from the platform before the power surge destroyed his body. Much to her own confusion when the explosion began it didn't destroy her, more like it opened some kind of gateway and it literally sucked her in. She opened her mouth to voice a command but found no sound was being generated. _''My voice isn't working.''_

Before she could attempt to contact her partner or any of her allies she had to make sure her condition didn't risk any viral infection. There was no telling what might have happened to her body while she was offline.

When she tried moving she frowned as her body was not responding to any of her commands. The only available part that still worked to some extent was her eyes, which she used to check herself and her surroundings. Her body was severely damaged, there were sections of her body where the outer layers were stripped away even revealing her mechanical insides. Various wires were sticking out as well as tubes leaking out fluid.

Her clothes were ruined as well, but that didn't matter at the moment, she had to find her pod.

As she looked around for her pod she noticed that the remains of the machines she fought with that were on the platform were also brought with her. After a few moments she spotted the pod lying on top of one of the terminated machines.

She couldn't transmit her commands to it orally so tried to do so via the network they were part of._ ''Pod estimate the damage sustained.''_

The small box like machine didn't answer.

''_Pod 042 respond.'' _The android repeated, yet there still wasn't an answer.

_Error, connection unavailable to Pod 042._

It was then that 2B looked carefully at the pod and noticed that it had also suffered damage, one of its side arms had been ripped off and its front casing was deeply cracked with a multitude of wires poking out as well. It was no wonder the support unit wasn't able to respond to her._ ''Guess I will have to do it manually.''_

The pod units were designed to offer YoRHa units support and tactical counseling. It was normally their job to perform systems diagnostics to their designated owners but it didn't mean that the YoRHa units were incapable to perform the function themselves.

Like others 2B also left that job to her pod as she usually was far too busy battling rampaging machines to do it. So for the first time in a _long_ time the female android began diagnosing herself.

''_Initialize scan of all systems.''_

…_Estimating of damage in progress._

…_Scan complete. _

_Accessing data._

_Cognitive systems in critical conditions._

_Motor systems in critical condition. _

_Sensory system in critical condition. _

''_Detail sensory report.'' _This didn't look good; the parameters that were being displayed within her mind were all in the red zone.

_Alert: Primal systems have sustained severe damage and overheated. Self-repair systems unable to compute, nano machines have ceased all activity_.

While there were no signs of any viral infection in her body, it was far too damaged to perform a self-repair routine and without her pod to administrate repairs in her place the situation was growing quite dire.

As it stood she couldn't get out of this crater by herself and needed someone to help her. That being said she decided to contact her partner and ask for assistance.

_Error. Unable to locate YoRHa No. 9 Type S black box signal._

Now that was weird, even if she couldn't contact him normally she could locate him even if he was on the other side of the world since they were both part of the same network.

Something was wrong.

Perhaps she had been damaged far beyond repair and should just let it go. While she didn't like it the regulation allowed for a YoRHa unit to transfer their data back to the bunker and deactivate their bodies if they were deemed beyond repair or unable to receive it. Once the transfer is confirmed the deactivated body may be salvaged for parts at a later time.

With not many choices left to choose from 2B began contacting the bunker to request her data to be transferred and begin the procedure.

_Error. Data transfer failed. Connection to bunker main data frame unavailable. _

This had to be some kind of a mistake.

_Error. Data transfer failed. Connection to bunker main data frame unavailable._

''_What's going on?''_

Something like this just can't happen. Was she being jammed by some enemy unit?

This entire situation she found herself in was starting to annoy the female android. Not only was she unable to move but she couldn't even call for help and if this area is being jammed that meant that any ally units would be unable to locate her.

She was basically trapped here without any means of escaping.

Just when she thought her present circumstances couldn't get worse a red screen appeared in her mind.

_Alert: Due to extensive damage to systems data corruption is imminent._

_All motor and interactive systems will be placed in stand-by mode until systems cool down and function parameters reach minimum required values._

She wanted to swear as her vision was turned off; only her hearing was left on.

Was this supposed to be some kind of ironic punishment?

For cursing her fate? For not submitting herself to it? For defying it?

She cannot die. Androids do not die. As long as their data is preserved it can always be uploaded to new body and start over.

To them death had no meaning.

Hesitation in front of death was a concept foreign to them. There was no self-preservation for one's own sake, only a fulfillment to their duty.

Some may call this a gift from their creators.

However to 2B this was nothing more than a curse, continually being forced to walk forward and repeat herself in a never ending cycle. Even if she were to delete her data and terminate herself that wouldn't solve anything, a new 2B will simply take her place walking in her footsteps.

Even if she were to die, in the end it wouldn't even matter.

And yet… she felt an eerie cold wash over her… a fear of being left alone like this.

Perhaps this was what humans experience when they were embraced by the concept of death. A dark and cold void, a state of nonexistence, knowing that you cannot do anything to escape it and yet still able to feel it.

She was scared. She wanted this, this _thing_ to go away.

How she wanted to assume a fetal position to calm herself but due to her current state was unable to do even such a basic movement. In this cold void her thoughts were drifting to the one person she felt she had wronged so much that it drove her to internally wretch. _''Nines… I'm sorry.''_

Yet for a brief moment there was something akin to a light within the sea of dark thoughts that clouded her mind. It was a small noise close by, like a rock hitting metal.

''Miss!'' Someone called out to her, a soft voice filled with concern, making her wonder if 9S managed to find her. ''Miss are you hurt?!''

''_Miss?''_

* * *

''Dammit!'' Shirou silently swore as he descended down the crater.

He had a gut feeling that something bad had happened but he wouldn't have imagined that he would find some still sizzling crater and when looking over from the edge spot some girl laying helplessly inside it.

There was no time to waste and the boy quickly climbed down to help her. Unfortunately while doing so he lost his footing and fell down himself. Shirou threw his hands forward touching the ground as he caught himself; he grimaced in pain as it was still pretty hot but managed to endure the heat as he continued toward the girl.

When his feet finally reached the bottom he bolted to the person in need of his help, yet only to find himself freezing on the spot the moment his eyes caught a glimpse of her.

He was able to vaguely tell it was girl even before reaching her but now that he saw her up close like this he found himself taken aback. She was clearly a couple of years older than him, dressed in what Shirou could describe as some kind of form fitting black goth dress with puffy sleeves. It was decorated with feathers and chic material, white and black gloves and a side slit that exposed a dangerous amount of her thigh. Speaking of dangerous amounts, it also exposed quite a bit of her generous bust, while her long legs were covered in thigh-highs and thigh length heeled boots. Her unusual clothes style aside, what was fascinating about her appearance had to be the cloth like blindfold she wore over her eyes but most of all it was her hair, it was short in length but its color was what truly stood out, pure white hair, like the winter snow.

Normally the boy would have turned around and blushed given how her clothes were pretty shredded in certain areas, but when he saw the _wounds_ the girl had his mind just went blank.

''W-What the…?'' Shirou muttered in a mixture of shock and awe as his eyes tried to discern what he was seeing. ''Wires… metallic parts… a robot?''

2B while unable to see or interact with her rescuer was still conscious and able to hear him to some extent. The sudden appearance of another person took her by surprise but also put her at ease, knowing that she may soon get help and be repaired.

Or at the very least get terminated and end her struggle.

What made her curious was the reaction she heard from the visitor, it was like he never saw an android before. His voice was also a peculiar thing, it was soft and similar to that of 9S which made her wonder if this was also a scanner model since only they were modeled after young male teenagers.

Shirou on the other hand was having a field day trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Was this some kind of very elaborate prank? Did he stumble on some kind of secret governmental project? Was this the work of one of those magus people his father taught and warned him about?

Did Taiga cook something which by some monumental mistake he somehow ate some of it, and is now in a delusional coma?

First things first, he punched himself to double check. Yep, his face hurt like hell and nothing had changed.

What was he supposed to even do in this kind of situation?

If it were an injured human the answer would be easy, call the ambulance, and get her to a hospital.

For a robot though?... Get her to a mechanic?... An electrician?... A computer repair shop?... Bill Gates?

Wait, was she even a robot or was she one of those humans with mechanical implants like in those sci-fi movies? What was the term again… a cyborg?

Truthfully he wanted to help her more than anything regardless of what she was. The moment he saw the look on her face it caused something to snap in the boys mind. Memories that he tried getting over but never could.

The images of people burning and dying repeatedly flashing through Shirou's mind.

It was the same.

That same broken and hurt look was present on 2B's face, causing untold inner turmoil to the boy.

During the night of that disaster Shirou was unable to help anyone… the guilt of that event forever scarring his mind. To be put face to face with a similar situation once again… even though he wanted more than anything to help this girl.

He had no clue what he could even do as he continued to stare at her damaged body.

''[H…help… her…]''

The red haired boy snapped his head and looked around in panic, trying to find whoever it was that spoke. He was unable to find anyone but for a brief moment he thought he saw small light blink from a box like machine.

Shirou grinded his teeth as he realized how pathetic he must have appeared at this moment. Even if he had no idea what he was supposed to do, sitting around with his hands in his pockets wasn't going to do anyone any good.

He could figure things out later, for now he had to take her out of this crater and take her somewhere safe.

''Can you hear me?'' Shirou whispered gently as he patted her on the shoulder, but there was no response of any kind. Even so Shirou didn't lose hope. ''Don't worry, I'll help you.''

2B was grateful that she was getting assistance but she wondered what the mysterious helper was planning to do. What truly baffled her was the grunting sounds the boy made when he tried picking her up.

''Damnnnn! You're so heavy!'' Shirou said through his tightly clenched teeth, face beet red from the effort he was exerting.

If 2B could still move her facial parts, she would have frowned at that remark._ ''How rude… I have the standard weight of 148.8kg for my class's model.''_

Human or not, a remark on a woman's weight was always a taboo subject.

Shirou took a deep breath and pushed himself up, managing to lift her. Just when he felt like he made some progress he heard the sound of something hitting the ground. The boy's eyes peeked down at his legs and sighed in annoyance.

Apparently one of the robotic girl's legs just broke off from knee down.

The reduced load did help him a little with managing the weight but it wasn't a good thing to happen regardless.

He will have to come back and take the leg later.

''Wait…'' Shirou realized as he took another look at the crater. It was filled with other mechanical parts and the carcasses of robot like things, which reminded him of some scenes he saw from those Star Wars movies.

He wasn't sure if leaving them here would be a good idea and the girl on his shoulder might have lost some of parts among them. Not to mention, later on she may be in need of spare parts too.

Just as he was about to take a step forward Shirou's eyes landed and froze on the katana sticking out of the ground. He had never seen anything like it before, with how the sword seemed to have mechanical parts incorporated into its design. It was an odd sensation, for the briefest moment he felt an urge to pick it up and give it a swing. He shook his head focusing himself back to task at hand.

That could wait for last, for now he had to get the girl he was carrying somewhere safe.

* * *

Meanwhile as this was going on 2B had been pondering about what will happen to her.

Even though her mysterious rescuer said he will help her he didn't apply any repairs on her. Instead he seemed to have transported her to some unknown location. A refugee camp with a repair station perhaps?

It was very difficult to tell when your only available working system was sound.

The YoRHa android was broken out of her thoughts when a screen popped out in her mind, displaying a notification message.

_Black box internal temperature has returned to optimal values. _

_Visual system are now available._

While this didn't solve the problems with her other damaged and inactive systems, it was a start. At least she could now get a proper understanding of her location.

''_A storage facility of some kind?'' _

She wasn't too sure about it given that the room had a very foreign architecture to her. It was quite dark where she was at but she could still make up some of the things around her, like how furniture, random pieces of scrap metal, wood, and other materials were apparently all over the place.

To her surprise the remains of the machines she and 9S fought earlier were also here piled up in a corner, covered with a blanket but she could see their arms peeking out from underneath it. Her sword the Virtuous Treaty was also here, neatly placed on a wooden support as if it were a piece of artwork.

2B noticed that she was placed against a wall on a piece of curtain, her severed leg and other of her internal parts that got ripped out were aligned carefully one after the other.

At least that explained all the rumbling noises she heard when she was brought here. The person that carried her here must had organized everything before he left a while ago.

Before she could have continued scanning the room, the door on the other side opened and through it a young person appeared. A serious look present of his face as he arrived in front of 2B and placed the toolbox he was carrying right next to her.

The very moment he was next to 2B she finally got to see what her rescuer looked like and was intrigued by what she saw. Model wise he was similar to a scanner type, however his design features were anything but the standard YoRHa design. His skin tone had more of a crème shade to it, his hair was somewhat spiky possessing an auburn red color to it, and his eyes were an unusual shade of yellowish brown, very close to the color of amber.

''_What model is he?''_

2B had met many variations of androids in the missions she's been on and yet never before had she seen anyone quite like this one. For one thing there weren't any child like androids besides the scanner types and she was certain this person wasn't a member of YoRHa. If anything the red hair he had made 2B compare him with the twin androids Devola and Popola she met at the resistance camp.

Was he an android from the same generation as them?

If he was an older model perhaps he was offline until recently which may explain his confusion when he first encountered her. The older generations weren't nearly as high end as the YoRHa and to them a model such as 2B would have looked incredibly advanced.

As 2B kept debating the options her would be repairman finished bringing his tool kit around and stared at the white haired android.

''Hi there.'' The boy spoke sheepishly, a small smile present on his lips. ''Ok, so I'm not sure if your hearing me but I'll try and see if I can fix you, so please bear with me.''

''…_That would be most beneficial.'' _2B thought to herself, her focus shifting to the youthful looking unit opening his toolbox and unpacking his equipment. This action intrigued the YoRHa android. _''Is he attempting a manual repair on me?''_

This was something of a novel experience to 2B, her being used to the industrial repair units they had back on the bunker. Sure there were more backwater repair stations in the androids resistance camps but she had never really ended up in any of them. Usually she would be transported back to the bunker to get repairs, and in some cases when her systems were far too damaged and enemies were still needed to be dealt with she would resort to the self-destruct protocol.

It wasn't like anybody cared about her doing that.

Her body was merely one of many copies, as long as her data remained intact she would rise again to fight another day… and another one… and another one… and another one…

Forever destined to repeat a never ending cycle.

''Let's get down to business.'' Shirou stated as he picked up a soldering iron and plugged it in to warm it up, then picking up a pair of small tweezers he began rearranging circuits that peeked out of a crack near 2B's abdomen. It wasn't anything important at the moment, he was simply making a bit of order here and there so they didn't get tangled when he begins the real work.

When that was done he picked up a cotton swab and began cleaning the dirty and blackened parts, hoping that they weren't fried beyond repair.

As the boy was doing this meticulous job 2B kept staring at him unsure of what she was supposed to feel. _''Where did he get such ancient looking instruments?''_

As the cleaning process was done and Shirou took in small deep breath as he stared at the inner structure of the android, contemplating what he should do first.

And he stared.

He kept staring silently for about half an hour before he finally stopped and let out a strained growl.

Not that anyone could blame the young man, after all what he was doing was the equivalent of taking a person from the dark ages, placing him in front of open computer carcass and asking them to repair it. The boy could recognize some of the stuff like wires, circuits and metallic components but they were all very different from anything he had ever seen before. From their materials that made the mechanical woman up, to how they were placed, and connected completely baffled him.

It was like looking at a thousand piece puzzle without being given the end result picture. You could pick any piece to start with but from there on is a complete nightmare to search for the other matching pieces. ''Man, I have no idea what I'm even supposed to do here.''

''_You don't say…'' _2B for one wanted nothing more than to sigh in annoyance, a shame she was unable to do so.

The boy had some hesitations in where to start, but perhaps cheating a little was the answer. As it stood he couldn't begin to understand just how 2B worked or how her inner parts were supposed to be placed.

He needed to get a _closer_ look at her.

''Maybe my magecraft can help?'' Shirou muttered to himself as he closed his eyes.

''_Magecraft?'' _This wasn't missed by 2B and it actually got her full attention as she recalled this being one of the terms used by the woman on those journal entries. Perhaps this person had information regarding what the woman was trying to do in that facility. 2B would have words with him when she was back at proper working parameters.

Shirou on his end was feeling a bit nervous about this. In all honesty when it came down to it his magecraft it was rather limited, he never did properly get to learn all the needed skills, the man that taught him only giving him the bare basic lessons.

As such he had to take what he was taught and try to master them, even though his talent and aptitude were lacking.

Structural grasping, reinforcement, and projection. These three mysteries were the only spells that his father taught him and he could barely use the three as it were. The only one that was successful most of the time was structural grasping, and luckily for him it was the very spell he needed right now.

''Okay, this will hurt.'' The boy muttered as he concentrated and began the process of creating a circuit. In order to utilize magecraft one had to channel the prana in their bodies and to do so required creating magic circuits out of your own nerves from what Shirou had managed to understand from his father. The process itself was beyond painful; akin to sticking a red hot iron in your very backbone. But it was necessary, as the red haired boy was unaware of a less painful method of creating circuits. ''Trace On!''

Sweat began forming on the boy's brow as he grit his teeth together to endure the pain. The process only took about a minute to complete but those few seconds felt like long hours of hellish torture.

His amber like eyes snapped open as he prevailed and overcame the pain, there was no time to waste for he was well aware that the circuit he had made wasn't permanent, so he would do his best to not waste any valuable time.

The young Emiya shifted his focus to the android, readying himself to use structural grasping on her.

His actions were not unnoticed by 2B. The moment Shirou began generating prana a red screen popped out in the android's mind.

_Alert: Unidentified energy signature detected. _

2B didn't enjoy that message, she was already drawing speculations given her current set of data. This was the second time today that she encountered an energy source not registered in the YoRha data banks. Too much of a coincidence to be left alone.

_Running diagnosing. Confirmed. The reading from the source are similar in nature to the unidentified energy source registered several hours prior._

Just as she thought.

There definitely was a connection between this boy and the experiment that was held in that facility.

Shirou took a deep breath as he activated his structural grasping. The spell was fairly simple in concept and usage, it analyzed the inner workings of an object and allowed him to understand the structure and design of said object as if he were viewing a blueprint. That being said even if he didn't have any clue of what he is supposed to do he could see how everything was originally placed and from there he can then put everything back together.

As the spell activated and scanned the broken woman before him something inside the boys mind felt like it shattered.

''Aghhhh!'' the boy screamed in pain as he stumbled backwards, rolling on the floor while desperately holding onto his head in an attempt to somehow calm down the stabbing sensation he felt in his brain. It was a good five minutes of struggling before the pain eventually subsided and the boy finally calmed down. Shirou became sickly white, sweat pouring on his face as his bloodshot eyes stared in utter shock at machine before him. ''What the hell?''

All of this confused 2B, unable to comprehend what just happened._ ''Did one of his systems malfunction?''_

She had witnessed androids display similar reactions upon hacking or infection with the logic virus but this one didn't have the confirming change in eye appearance.

Shirou on his end felt like Taiga just went on a warpath with his head using her Tora-shinai, even to this day he swears that damn wooden sword is cursed. Yet his older sister figure still didn't see anything wrong with it, simply laughing it off claiming he was just being silly! That aside the boy tried understanding what was it he just saw before the image in his mind went shattering like glass. The sheer amount of information, all super detailed and complex was simply too much for him to handle all at once. ''M-Man it was like trying to find one special grain of sand in a whole sand box.''

Usually when he used structural grasping he could get a fairly detailed blue print in his mind, but what he got this time were hundreds if not thousands of intricate blue prints intertwined with each other. The young Emiya was usually very optimistic and never backed away from a task simply because it seemed too difficult for him, but for the first time in his life he felt like he might just have to throw in the towel. ''I've repaired a lot of heaters before but this way over my head.''

''_D-Did he just compare me to heating unit?'' _2B was utterly baffled by what she just heard from the red haired boy._ ''… I find that incredibly offensive.''_

It was a good thing that 2B couldn't move or speak, such a remark would have probably earned Shirou a nice slap or at the very least a very nasty comment about his manufacturer. 2B wasn't by nature a violent or foul mouthed being like a certain renegade YoRHa unit, but that remark felt VERY offensive to the female android.

Shirou for his part was still trying to find a solution to his problem. He didn't understand how she worked or what had to be repaired. Using his magecraft on her was also backfiring very badly. The boy took a tired glance at her and kept wondering why he was even struggling so much to help her. He wasn't dumb; he realized that this wasn't an actual person, just some machine that looked human. For all he knew she was already long gone or not even working in the first place perhaps she was just made to look human and nothing more.

What was the point in all of this?

Why did seeing her all helpless in that crater shock his core so much?

Did he perhaps once know someone that looked like her at some point?

That was a possibility given his past but nothing was certain.

…Was he feeling guilty?

Did seeing her like that remind him of his sin?

The guilt he felt for surviving that disaster, ignoring the cries for help of those who were caught in it, by literally walking over their corpses in order to survive.

Did… did he perhaps feel like he was repeating his past mistake?

That night he chose to ignore the cries of help of his fellow victims to save himself. Those screams from that fiery hell had haunted him for years.

Fate was a cruel thing indeed, making him face a situation that made those repressed memories resurface like this. Perhaps it was meant to mock him to some extent because of his dream, trying to tell him that if he can't even save a single machine then he had no right to try and save real people.

He would not let this stand.

If that was the case, he would find a way to make amends even if it broke him.

''Ok… let's try something else.'' Shirou muttered as he moved back in front of 2B, his eyes locked on one of the wires sticking out of her midsection. If using structural grasping on her whole body gave him such violent response perhaps he needed to reduce the amount of information he was grasping. ''Focus on a single area.''

He chose the midsection alone, excluding everything else from his mind. Much to his annoyance the reaction was still quite violent as he felt a familiar stabbing pain.

''Man what the hell is this thing…?'' Amber eyes throbbed uncontrollably as brain stabbing pain danced in his head once again. It wasn't as bad as the first attempt but it still didn't work the way he wanted. ''I tinkered with a lot of appliances before but you are beyond anything I have ever seen.''

He breathed in and out, calming himself.

''No… let's do this again, one piece at a time.'' Doubtful as he was, Shirou refused to throw in the towel. With a resolve of steel he concentrated on a single wire sticking out of her midsection. If a single area also wasn't an option then he would pour everything he had onto a single piece.

To his own surprise Shirou was somehow able to keep his jaw from dropping as he successfully took in the information. One single wire, just one small wire had the structure complexity of a whole computer. No wonder his mind was cracking from trying to grasp her body as a whole, it was protecting itself from overloading. If one wire had this amount of information than her whole body must be something that was mentally humanly impossible to handle in its entirety, but it was manageable if it was a single piece.

''So I can do it after all… Still can't really understand how it works, but I have an idea how it was supposed to be placed.'' Shirou remarked as picked up a pair of tweezers. Even if his progress would be at a snail's pace it was still possible to do, there was hope. No use in thinking about it anymore, he had a long road ahead of him. ''So that wire goes there…''

2B wasn't sure what the boy did or what he was planning but for now it seemed like he found a way to repair her. For the time being she will simply wait until her systems are back to the minimal required levels to function. Then after she was operational she could get some answers from her mysterious helper.

* * *

Time flew by fast for both Shirou and 2B.

''_Why did he stop?'' _2B wondered as no real progress was made. She could see the diagnostics of her systems and there was no notable improvement to her condition.

It was around noon when Shirou began his repair attempts and now the red rays of the setting sun peeked through the sheds window.

A tired sigh escaped the boy's lips as he put his sparrow shank down and wiped away the sweat on his forehead, taking in the progress he made since he started. Then again, maybe it was more precise to say the lack of progress.

Just fixing a couple of wires took so much time and effort, and there was so MUCH more left to be done. He couldn't rush it either if he didn't want to accidentally damage any other parts. There were so many wires and different machine parts all stuffed in such small cavities, almost similar to how the inside of a clock works. The level of attention and precision he had to use was making Shirou think he wasn't repairing a machine but rather operating on a person's brain, were one single mistake is able to cause irreversible damage.

At this rate the red haired boy had no clue how long it will take before he would able to repair her. If today was anything to go by and his estimations were any bit accurate…

It will be months before he is anywhere near close to being done.

''Not good, and it's already so late.'' Shirou muttered dejected as he packed away his repair kit, placing a large cover on 2B so there was no risk on Taiga accidentally walking in here and finding his new guest like this. Knowing her she will probably make some farfetched deduction like him having some sort of doll fetish. ''Sorry, I will have to call it a day for now, I will be back tomorrow and try again.''

He felt so tired… this was the first time he kept using his structural grasping to such an extent. It didn't drain that much prana but the mental strain it caused from looking over something as complex as the mechanical woman was great. Going to bed sounded so tempting right now but he had dinner to make, Taiga will drop by in an hour or so and if she didn't find any food she will know something fishy is up. ''Goodnight.''

And so the YoRHa android remained in the dark shed… alone… she didn't like that. She tried to keep her mind busy in an attempt to ignore the state of solitude she was in.

''_Perhaps he needed time to recharge his systems…'' _2B deduced as she took in factor the state of exhaustion her benefactor was in after his work. Whatever program he was using to help him in her repairs was definitely consuming a lot of energy from him.

That being said, she couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to repair her before she ran out of power herself. Given that she was designed for long combat sessions her energy storage capacity was quite high, and she was saving a lot of energy because she was barely consuming any of it due to the current state she was in. Still she used a noticeable amount of energy in the previous battle, and the rate of repair on her systems was… ongoing. There was no telling if her current state would continue maintain itself and wouldn't get worse as time passed if she couldn't be repaired fast enough. 2B couldn't help but let her mind drift as she took it all in.

* * *

How things have changed and yet still remain fundamentally the same.

2B would always be forced in a never ending circle in which she had to kill her partner the moment he realized the true state of the world. An action 2B found was slowly starting to eat at her from the inside.

If it were someone else, a random person she had no connection to she would be able to complete her termination mission without question. Yet, this was 9S she was forced to kill… at first she didn't think much of him but in time the child like android slowly grew on her, his curious and somewhat goofy nature was something that she found rather… interesting to say the least and it wasn't long before she starting caring for him.

That was her mistake.

Each time he would find out the truth he would be terminated and every memory prior to him starting to figure out what was truly going on were erased from his data banks.

It often ended up with most of 9S's memories together with 2B getting completely erased as well, 2B then being forced to start her relationship with 9S anew from scratch.

After so many repeats she honestly stopped trying to care, if only so it could ease the pain she felt.

She knew she could never escape that cycle, and she accepted that.

At least… that was what she thought a while back.

For now she was forced into a new cycle. One in which she is forced to watch the red haired unit attempt to repair her only to fail and try again the following day.

She would often wonder how is it that time seemed to pass so slowly now that she was in this state. The hours and days would flow before she noticed it back when she was out in field performing her duties.

Yet now it felt like it was barely passing by at all.

Perhaps it was just boredom as she couldn't do anything in her current state.

Nothing except reflect on her past, only to grow bitter as she realizes how flawed her existence truly is.

Her only source of distraction was to watch the red haired android attempt to help her. Each night at the same hour he would come and attempt to repair her. He would often start talking to her, or at least that was what she thought. Most of it was him complaining to himself for his inability at fixing her.

Shirou took a breather and wiped his forehead with his sleeve, a tired and annoyed expression present on his face. ''Man I lost count how many nights I've been going at you and I have no idea what I'm really doing.''

''_You don't say.''_ 2B honestly didn't even feel like remarking on that.

It's been two months since he began doing repairs on her and his performance had been rather… disappointing. 2B was really curious as to what generation this boy was part of if he had so much difficulty understanding how she worked.

Shirou was unaware of 2B thoughts as he kept staring at the celling.

So many nights he spent working on the mechanical woman before him and yet he can't help but feel like he wasted them seeing that he hasn't caught even the slightest sign of progress.

The only bit of consolation was that he at least was practicing and increasing his skill with structural grasping. Given how much time he has been dedicating to repairing her he had been slacking on his other magecraft training. Though it wasn't like he had much to train in the first place… his repertoire of spells was sadly rather lacking, consisting of only three spells.

The red haired boy could only sigh bitterly as he shifted his gaze at the human like machine in front of him.

Was she the byproduct of magecraft or a creation of science?

What happened to her that made her end up in that crater?

Was there anybody looking for her?

Would she be able to interact with him if he repaired her?

There were so many questions he had and yet no one that could answer them.

''Whoever made you must have been some kind of super genius.'' Shirou remarked as he jammed the tip of his screw driver inside of one of the broken sections. It was a completely unintentional act, he only meant to tap the skin surface but his hand slipped as it was trembling from all the built up muscle soreness caused from all he tinkering he did over the past hours.

While he panicked a bit from this he was unaware that this little slip up had actually pushed some parts back where they were supposed to be.

_Attention. Vocal chip 24S and motor circuit 94T have been reconnected. Limit speech function and movement in left arm will become available after their data update is complete._

If 2B would have been able to move her face, it would have morphed into a look of sheer surprise._ ''H-He actually managed to repair some of the damage. Maybe there is still a chance he will be able to do it after all.''_

Shirou on the hand didn't feel any better, he only prayed he didn't accidentally break anything else, he was already basically working blind as it was, no need for extra work. All he could do to calm himself was to try and initiate some small talk with his house guest before him even though he wasn't even sure if she could hear him. ''I can't help but wonder if you really can move or talk. I've recently saw a movie about a killer robot, made me wonder if you were anything like him. Just hope you don't have a funny accent. ''

''_What would an accent have to do with robots?'' _2B wondered in bewilderment, unaware of the reference Shirou was making as she never really watched too many movies herself. Movies were very scarce to find, very few remaining intact from before the downfall of humanity. Most of the movies they had back at the bunker were documentaries that showcased the important events of humanity. There might have been some of the so called recreational entertainment movies within their archives but she was never interested in them.

''Here I am talking like an idiot imagining how you talk or act. Well, not like I can understand how a machine would think.'' Shirou remarked casually, unware that his next words would completely shatter 2B's world. ''I'm just human after all.''

…

Something felt like it had just snapped in 2B's mind.

''…_W-What?''_

Confusion intertwined with denial was rushing through the female androids mind.

''_D-Did he just say…?''_

He was a human?

How was that possible?

''_No, no, no, NO! It can't be true!'' _Denial kept echoing in her mind as she tried to analyze the current situation before her.

All of humanity was dead.

That was the sad but undeniable truth.

It must have been a delusion of the red haired android's part. It wouldn't be the first time she had encountered a machine life form that thought itself as human.

There were times when the machines in their twisted obsession of humanity researched, studied, and copied their behavior and way of life. 2B had saw many of them getting so engrossed in it that they started thinking of themselves as actual humans, completely forgetting what they truly were.

This had to be a similar case.

The machine boy must have been imitating humans to the point that he began thinking he is one himself.

Yes, that was the logical explanation.

There was no way he was human.

That _had_ to be the truth…

And yet…

No matter how much 2B wanted deny his words, there was a part of her that wanted to believe it was real.

She denied it… she _wanted_ to deny it… but now that she thought about it, the actions of the boy were making his claim all more believable.

His shock and confusion upon seeing her mechanical form, the irregular design of his body, his inability to comprehend her inner structure, the ancient tools he has been using to repair her.

The more she thought about it, the more it was slowly beginning to make sense.

Something which honestly scared the YoRHa android.

If he truly was human… what would she do?

''Now where did I drop that screw driver?'' said Shirou as 2B kept her eyes upon his form as if her existence depended on it, looking for the tinniest sign that could prove to her if he truly was human or not.

_Update complete. Partial function restored._

This message couldn't have come at a better time. She had questions to be answered, and maybe… just maybe… she could learn the reason for her existence.

2B tried opened her mouth but only a silent hiss was produced, her audio systems struggling to come back online.

''_M-Move…'' _Her eyes stared intensely at her unwilling arm. No matter how much she wanted it, the appendage refused to move properly, her digits barely managing to tremble randomly._ ''Move, dammit!''_

She had to reach out to him.

This was something that didn't involve her alone, but all YoRHa and androids for all she was aware of. The discovery of a human survivor could turn the state of the world upside down.

She had a duty to see this through.

For the humans that had fallen centuries ago.

For all the androids that fell in battle in the name of humanity.

For the YoRHa units that dedicated themselves for the sake of humanity.

But above all else… for herself.

By pure determination alone, she was able to force her voice to be heard by the world.

''H…u…m…a…n.''

''Whoa!'' Shirou jumped backwards from his seat, completely startled by 2B. When he turned back he looked everywhere for any signs of someone that could have said that but there was no one here, all except for the lone robot in front of him. He licked the inside of his dried mouth as he was truly taken aback by what he was about to ask. ''D-did you just talk?!''

Slowly the boy's amber like eyes grew wide as he saw the androids lips part little by little, silent soft sounds following from them. ''Y…e…s.''

In that moment Shirou did the only rational thing any person would have done in such a moment.

He smacked himself across the face, much to 2B's bewilderment.

There was the stinging sensation of pain in his cheek, yep he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating.

Now with that out of the way he cleared his mind and tried to make some heads or tails about what was going on. ''Wow… so… you really are a robot.''

''A…n…d…r…o…i…d.'' 2B felt the need to correct him.

There was a brief moment of dead silence between them. Both of them unsure of what they were supposed to do or say in this situation.

2B was struggling to come to terms with this turn of events and had to further confirm it somehow. She focused on her arm and with extreme difficulty she slowly began to raise it and reach out for the red haired human.

There was still many damages in it and she couldn't properly control it, the digits on her arm bending and contorting against her control, but even so she still tried to come in to contact with him.

Shirou saw what she tried to do and how she struggled, so he decided to ease her burden and reach out with his own hand.

The two hands reached for one another, fingers slowly brushing as they began to intertwine.

Two people that were never meant to meet, never meant to know of each other's existence, a meeting that could only be described as a coincidence or trick of fate.

2B's cold steel fingers were holding tight onto Shirou's fingers of warm flesh.

The fake meeting the original, dazed as she saw with her own eyes how much she resembled her creators.

They were opposing existences, one a natural creation while the other artificial. Opposing, yet they were uncannily similar to each other.

It was odd.

There wasn't much difference.

The skin, the surface, the temperature felt similar to her own, yet 2B could tell, something was fundamentally different.

Something within the core of her very being echoed upon this contact, a never before occurrence, the subconscious longing to of meeting mankind engraved within each YoRHa unit ever created… it responded.

She was well aware of its existence, but this… this was first time the conditions have been met.

There was no denying.

What stood before her and held her hand so gently.

Was a human.

2B felt a very foreign softness and warmth of his hand, a sensation that could never be replicated by an old model android or machine. Her mind was so engrossed in this moment of awe that she didn't even realize how much strength she was putting in her grip.

Who could blame 2B for this moment of inattention?

To her this meeting was akin to what a human would have felt if they came face to face with God. A moment of pure bewilderment and shattering of all other things that plagued the mind. No one would judge her if one lost track of something as small as a handshake.

It was only when Shirou's face contorted in pain that she saw what she was doing, quickly letting go of him and let her hand fall down to the floor.

''Ouch, that's quite a grip you got there.'' Shirou laughed it off while caressing his hand, understanding that she didn't mean to do that. Truth be told he was so taken aback by this turn of events that he kinda zoned out and was only brought back when he felt her crushing his hand. ''Do you have a name?''

The YoRHa android focused all of her systems on her audio, making sure to give an answer no matter what. ''2...B…''

''2B?'' Shirou asked in confirmation as he wasn't sure if that was her name or words got lost along the way.

''…Y…es.''

Shirou could only nod sheepishly as he bowed his head slightly, a proper way of greeting by the Japanese citizens. ''Well it's a pleasure to meet you 2B. My name is Shirou Emiya.''

The named felt like it echoed in her mind. It felt pleasant to hear.

Not a designated model name like what she possessed or a name simply picked up like the ones the machine life forms chose for themselves.

The name of an actual human.

''Sh…i…rou… E…mi…ya…'' She had no reason to repeat it, and yet she struggled to do it nevertheless. There was an urge in her to do so and she complied with it even if it went against her logical and calculative way of thinking. Completely unaware of it herself, her lips morphed into a small smile, one that caused the red haired magus to blush. Up until this point he never noticed it because he kept himself focused on the task of repairing her that he never truly took a moment to truly look at her features properly. 2B was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.

The android's functioning arm slowly lifted up and weakly made its way over her chest. Words that up until this point held no meaning to her, suddenly felt like they were worth speaking.

''Gl…ory… to… m…an… k…ind!''

* * *

**Author Notes**

**And cut.**

**Some people probably saw the update and were like WTF? Since when does Ray do weekly updates?**

**Shocking, I know. Don't get used to it though, I can do it since I wrote this in advance, so after 2 more chapters it will back indefinite update schedule (that's if this story even continues, depends how popular it gets)**

**Anyway to what happened this chapter, everyone's favorite booty android was found by our resident wannabe hero. I tried writing the scenes to make them as believable as I could, so I hope I won't be getting to many complaints.**

**Now Shirou has to repair 2B, well that will take a while. Hope he doesn't accidentally trigger her self-destruct function while doing it... though on the flip side he would get a close up view of 2B's glorious behind before he kicks the bucket.**

**In any case I hope you enjoyed the small interactions and shout outs done. Wonder how long will it be before I made a full on terminator reference. (Wonder if I can make a major one without it being too cringy?)**

**Now I wonder how 2B will react when she realizes she's in the past?**

**Well stay tuned to find out.**

**Till next time.**

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	3. Shattered hope

Shirou was sitting in front of his shed with his hand rigidly wrapped around the door handle. There was a part of him that was wondering if everything that happened yesterday was truly real or just a dream.

The idea of android even existing in the first place completely baffled him. Let alone that he found an injured one and was currently trying his best to repair it.

No, _she_ was not an _'it'_.

_She_ had a name, and it was 2B.

A machine though she may be, she was still a sentient living being.

Or at least he thinks she is.

Everything was honestly way over Shirou's head so he had no idea what he was supposed to think.

Last night he managed to repair her to some extent after weeks of failure. Until the day before when his hard work finally bared fruit with 2B now able to speak and move to a certain degree, thus proving that his feelings and effort as he struggled to repair her weren't in vain.

While it was only for a brief moment, he still remembered all of it… the meeting of their hands… fingers interlocking with one another… the softness of her gloves… and the crushing pain he felt when her hand accidentally started clamping down on his own.

Those sensations all felt real, they had to be.

Besides he also had the bruise on his hand as proof.

Yet strangely, it was her smile which made him doubt how real everything was.

Could a smile as beautiful as the one she briefly showed him truly exist?

Shirou reminisced as he recalled the image but shook his head in order to try and clear his thoughts. But still his cheeks flushed red in betrayal despite his best efforts to focus.

That aside, Shirou had other problems on hand to deal with. It was after the moment 2B gave her salute that she went silent and became completely still, no longer responding anymore to anything he said.

Shirou was aware that what he managed to do was far from a proper repair but he could only hope that what happened before wasn't just a one-time fluke and he could talk with her again.

It was all so vexing that Shirou suddenly got cold feet now when he is about to meet her again.

Perhaps he was scared at the thought of going in only to find out that she had stopped functioning for good while he was asleep. While Shirou was aware it was ridiculous to feel like this, he couldn't help but feel a certain amount of anxiety regardless.

The red haired boy took a deep breath and turned the door knob. There was no point in dragging on like this; it was only a waste of time that could be put to better use by helping 2B.

When he entered the shed he instantly looked over at the female android, unsurprisingly finding her in the very same spot he left her in last night, not having moved even a single centimeter out of place.

He wasn't sure if that was good sign or bad sign.

As he got closer to her he offered her a weak smile as he greeted her. ''Good morning.''

There wasn't any response.

2B gave neither a verbal confirmation nor physical sign of recognizing his presence.

The android simply stood lifelessly inert as she had always done since he first found her.

Shirou could only sigh dejectedly as he knelt down in front of her and prepared his tools to work on her. Maybe he was right and everything he thought that happened yesterday was just a dream.

The boy was so deflated that he missed the moment when 2B's lips parted. ''…mo…r…ni…ng.''

That made Shirou go still for a few moments, his eyes widening as he looked at the female android. Catching sight of her trying to lift her arm but failing to do so as it didn't work properly, shaking violently, and unable to properly control it.

Shirou took notice of this and held her arm. ''Easy there, no need to force yourself.''

While his action was sudden and perhaps a bit rude from a certain view point, he wouldn't want to risk her causing herself any additional harm. From what little he knew if you force an injured body part while recovering it could end up making things even worse.

While this was the general rule for humans and there was no guarantee it also applied to androids, if there was any chance of something similar happening to her Shirou wasn't going to risk it.

2B was a bit surprised by Shirou's reaction but complied with his request, stopping any further attempt to move. It was when the shaking finally stopped that Shirou took a deep breath and felt at ease as he realized that what happened yesterday wasn't a delusion on his part. ''Did you sleep well last night?''

''C…an…no…t.''

Shirou blinked in confusion a couple of times but soon realized what she meant by that. ''Oh right, android, sorry.''

As much as she looked like a human, 2B wasn't one. Most human concepts were probably very foreign to her if she even possessed them in the first place.

That was a lie however.

The YoRHa were able to sleep if they desired to. Not only that, they were also able to experience dreams just like humans did.

That was of course if the said android chose to fall asleep in the first place as it wasn't a necessity to them. It served no real physical purpose, in fact it was a waste of valuable time.

The only reason one would chose to sleep was to experience dreams. Many YoRHa androids did so, experiencing the mysterious phenomena know as dreaming.

2B wasn't completely honest with Shirou in this regard. It wasn't that she couldn't sleep, she simply chose not to.

Her dreams were always haunting nightmares.

The red haired boy scratched the back of his head as he picked up a pair of tweezers. ''Well then, I somehow managed to make you talk, at least to some extent anyway, so I might as well try to make it better today.''

Before Shirou could get on with his work the white haired android spoke up. ''Wa…it.''

''What is it?'' Shirou asked curiously, hoping he wasn't about to do something bad to her by accident with his attempted repairs.

2B was silent for a few moments, performing a quick scan on her body. Once she was done she spoke once again. ''Ne…ck.''

This caused Shirou's own neck to tilt in confusion. ''Your neck?''

''F…Fi…x.''

The young redhead was unsure of why she asked this from him since her neck area seemed to be the least affected from all the other body parts. However this was her body they were talking about, so it was her right to decide what got fixed first or not. ''Ok, if you say so.''

In all honesty Shirou had no real clue with what he was going to try to repair next. The whole success he had with partially repairing 2B's voice along with one of her arms was more along the lines of random dumb luck than actual skill. If he could compare it to anything it would be perhaps akin to a TV being stuck in static and suddenly smacking it which somehow made it work properly.

Just as his dexterous hands were about to touch her neck section the female android spoke up. ''B-Bl…ue… w-wi…re… atta…ch… rig…ht…co…rner.''

''You know what I have to do?''

''Y-Ye…s…'' Shirou couldn't see it, but 2B was able display diagrams of her body within her mind, showing every affected area down to the smallest misplaced wire. She knew everything that needed to be repaired as well as how to handle each one of them.

There were many critically affected areas and she knew that it might take a while before she was back at proper working parameters but everything had to be handled delicately considering that her savior seemed to lack the skills and necessary knowledge to work on his own.

This was also good news for Shirou.

Now that young Emiya thought about it this was actually a lucky break for him to be guided by her like this. He did tend to lose a lot of time trying to decipher her inner workings and decide what he should try to fix next after all. He couldn't even fully structurally grasp her in one go due to 2B's immense complexity, being forced to scale down his focus and working on her piece by piece making only incremental repairs. That being said, despite his best efforts he had no idea if what he tried repairing previously was even linked with what he was trying to fix next.

A cheeky smile formed on the boy's face, unable to hold back his excitement. ''Well then, lead the way.''

* * *

''Cy…lin…dri…cal tu…be… in… low...se…cti..on.''

This was a novelty for Shirou if he were to describe his current situation. Up until now he would always handle any kind of appliance or machinery repairs by himself. All that he knew was mostly self-taught and learned by hands on experience, so having someone guiding and instructing him step by step on what to do was certainly a new experience to him.

Due to the nature of the structural grasping spell he used, he was able to see how the object was originally supposed to be by design and structure. Using the details he surmised by his structural grasping, he was able to find out what had caused them to break or stop functioning.

Essentially he was reading the history of the object in a sense.

If for instance a wire misfired in a heater he would then proceed to visualize the state the heater was currently in and the state it was in before it malfunctioned. Because of this and then comparing past to present, he could see what parts were affected and what needed to be repaired or replaced.

It was a weird way of doing things now that Shirou thought about it since most of the time he simply went in blind and it was only after tinkering with so many appliances that he slowly began to actually understand how certain parts would work and what their role was within structure to make it function.

In general this was basically the same with cars, motorcycles, air conditioners, and many other electrical or mechanical objects. He learned a little from here, a little from there, and now had a general understanding of how they are all supposed to run which helped him out greatly nowadays when fixing things.

… Except when it came to 2B.

The girl was so God damn advanced that he felt like a kindergartener trying to learn Quantum Physics, in a different language from his own.

As he reattached the part as per 2B instructions there was a small spark that ignited where the parts connected, causing Shirou to stumble backwards, panicking that he might have just caused a short-circuit potentially frying 2B. ''Did I do something wrong?!''

''You did not.'' The YoRHa android had finally spoken, this time however her voice was no longer distorted and lagging. It was back to her usual monotone, yet soft voice. ''That was a sign that my audio systems are back at proper working capacities.''

Shirou had to take a moment and pinched himself, making sure he wasn't dreaming, once he felt the pain a smile spread on his face in awe and fascination. ''Wow, you can finally talk properly.''

Although 2B couldn't show it, she also felt fascinated by the way Shirou reacted. ''You seem… happy to see that?''

The boy rubbed the back of his head, feeling suddenly sheepishly in front of the female android. ''Oh, well, it's just… I've been working on you for a couple of months now without any sign of progress so I often thought to myself if I can even fix you to begin with.''

2B happened to share this particular sentiment with the boy.

She often wondered if there was any chance for him to succeed with her repairs given how many times she felt like shouting at him for the sheer number of countless basic mistakes he performed along the way. It was a good thing her voice didn't function at the time, she couldn't have been so disrespectful to the person who might for all she knew be the very last human being in existence.

His existence was crucial.

She had to make contact with the bunker and inform the commander about Shirou. This was her self-imposed mission at the moment, return to proper working capacity and make sure to deliver the news to her superiors.

This took priority above everything else.

Of course this wasn't exactly up to her.

It all came down to Shirou and whether he could successfully repair her or not.

As such 2B couldn't help but throw in a remark about this.

''Your methods were indeed lacking, however the instruments you used were quite primitive so I'm not surprised you would say that.'' The android replied in her usual stoic tone, which felt kind of like a slap to the face for the young man. While he himself was aware he wasn't doing so well, it was a completely different thing entirely to hear this coming from the android 2B herself.

At that moment 2B felt like she made a big mistake when she saw the change in Shirou's facial expression. She was concluding that the rather cold and snarky personality she projected in front of 9S had become something of a habit by this point, one that she definitely had to start working on changing. ''True as that may be, you never gave up in spite of how impossible the task seemed. That shows your dedication, so allow me to offer you my sincere gratitude. I apologize that I can't bow down to you but my body is still unable to move.''

Shirou inwardly panicked, he wouldn't have minded a thank you from her, but the bowing down part was a bit too much for his taste. ''There's no need to do that, I just wanted to help you.''

_I just wanted to help you._

2B felt like those kind and gentle words he said were being wasted on a person like her. For all that she did to 9S… she honestly felt like she deserved anything but kindness.

Would Shirou still be able to offer her such kind words once he learnt of what she had done up until this point?

That thought was… fearful?

Emotions and logic were once again at odds. She had to gather more information before drawing any conclusions.

''… For what reason though?'' She began softly, the eyes hidden behind her visor narrowing at Shirou. ''You have never met me before, nor have I done anything to earn your sympathy, so why do you desire to help me as such?''

That was a valid question, Shirou could understand that. Yet, it didn't feel something he could just explain on the spot. ''Well, it's not wrong to help those in need.''

This was the same answer that Shirou always gave to those that inquired why he went out of his way to help others yet never asked for anything in return.

Many would see it as being a good hearted person.

Others however would see it as being disturbing. Finding more sense and logic if a reward was involved for the actions they performed.

Humans were by nature rather selfish creatures, while the act of selflessness was preached and encouraged by the media, very few people actually adhered to such a doctrine. Such was the case that it often confused many people whenever they saw a completely selfless person before them.

2B was also not satisfied with that answer, it didn't solve any of her dilemmas. Rather it only added more questions to be answered.

''… Every action we take has reason behind it doesn't it?'' the YoRHa android further inquired. ''There must have been more to it than just a simple principle.''

''... I guess.'' Shirou muttered awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. He never really gave it that much thought in general, just going by instinct most of the time. Only later after everything was said and done did he actually try thinking about the reasoning for why he had helped. This case however had more to it than just the normal random requests for help; there was a certain emotional weight to it. ''If anything… I just can't stand to see people suffering.''

For a brief moment Shirou's face went blank, passing so fast that a normal person would have easily missed it but not 2B. She saw the expression he had and didn't enjoy what she had seen.

In that single moment, Shirou's eyes looked dead.

Just like those of a terminated machine life form.

Yet, what truly disturbed her was that they were identical to how his eyes looked to those of 9S whenever she was forced to kill him.

''When I saw you there in that crater all broken and lifeless I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel, but it was the expression you had on your face that made me feel… frustrated. At that moment what I thought wasn't why I should help you or what I could gain from it, but rather how would I be able help you.''

The memory replayed in Shirou's mind.

It was disturbing how much 2B had resembled a corpse at that time.

''I just couldn't ignore you…'' The boy tightened his fist, knuckles turning white as old memories began flooding through his head. Shirou couldn't let them keep him down though and he tried his best to suppress them with a smile. ''So I just tried my best hoping that in the end I would be able to save you.''

A heavy silence befell the room as 2B tried to logically analyze the conversation that just took place and comprehend all of what he just said.

There were so many things that didn't make any sense from a logical stand point. Doing things without a rational thought process… to someone like 2B which have had her actions dictated by order and reason her entire life, this sort of thought process felt so completely foreign.

It wasn't like she never did anything that was simple and without any deeper implication but even then the smallest of her actions had a certain amount of reasoning and purpose behind them. Actions like reading or fishing which were once recreational activities for humans, she would do the first not for the pleasure of reading but to get a deeper understanding of human thought and culture, while the latter would be for financial gain as the fishes she caught could be exchanged for different goods within refugee camps.

Did she ever do something without a reason backing it up?

Just out of a whim?

2B couldn't recall if there was ever such an instance.

It was not surprising that this discussion felt so incredibly foreign to the YoRHa android.

''… I see.'' 2B couldn't think of what else to say to continue on with this discussion.

Or was it perhaps that she didn't want to go on with it, seeing that it made Shirou so uncomfortable?

The YoRHa android was very uncertain about this.

Shirou on his end only nodded awkwardly as he picked up his work tools. This discussion wasn't really up his alley. So he tried to shift it back to business. ''Well now that the voice works properly we can focus on the rest.''

''About that…'' 2B cut him off just before he was about to choose the next section to try and repair. Shirou looked at her, raising one of his eyebrows in curiosity. 2B hesitated for a moment as it wasn't proper to stop him like this, even though she had existed under strict military regime for so long and knew very well the importance of showing proper respect to her superiors; however Shirou was very similar to 9S with his childlike appearance and the easygoing attitude. This made 2B subconsciously act similarly more familiar to the human as she did with her old partner. ''I may have a more productive solution if you would be willing to listen.''

Shirou was actually very intrigued when he heard this, it took him so damn long to barely put her voice back together so if there was a way to repair her even faster he was all for it. ''Well, hit me.''

2B would have tilted her head at this question if she was still able to move. ''For what reason would I hit you?''

The red haired boy felt a bit awkward for the misunderstanding. ''N-No, it's just an expression, I meant say what you want.''

2B acknowledged this as she narrowed her eyes at the remains of the machines stashed in the corner of the room, the arm of a familiar device peeking through the pile of parts. ''My pod, the block like machine over there, has field repair protocols among its functions. If you repair it first, the rest of my repairs can be handled as efficiently as possible as it possesses proper maintenance systems.''

Shirou didn't respond and instead quickly dashed to the pile of scraps to excavate the so called pod. Once he found it, he brought it in front of 2B and asked for confirmation. ''So I repair this little guy and then he repairs you?''

''Basically.''

''Well then I will do just that.'' The young redhead lightly chuckled as he placed the pod down and started inspecting it, but stopping midway as he realized that the pod was most likely as technologically advanced as 2B was in spite of its rather simple exterior design. Shirou laughed awkwardly as he looked over towards 2B. ''Um, do you happen to know how to repair this little guy by any chance?''

''It is not within my designed functions.'' 2B stated simply, she was a combat model, maintenance and repairs weren't among her features, if it were 9S he could definitely have helped. 2B then noticed that a dejected look on Shirou's face had appeared again and started reconsidering. ''However, I might be able to offer support.''

This put a small smile on the boy's face. ''Let's get started then.''

* * *

The repair on the pod seemed to going well overall. It was different from what he previously did with 2B as he knew from her if what he did was right or wrong. However since the pod was not responding, he wasn't sure if he was on the right track or not.

Most of the time it would consist of Shirou holding the thing up close to 2B so she could get a good look at it and tell him what she thinks he should handle next. It was certainly weird to hold the box like machine in front of her like a billboard but he could honestly use all the help he could get.

From a first look estimation most of the pods structure was currently intact except for an arm that got ripped off. Overall Shirou only had to deal with replacing some wires and fixing that arm. If what 2B had said was accurate, the pods systems and data should still be working, so as long as he managed to turn it back on things should proceed without any troubles.

''Master Shirou, you connected the wrong wires together, go back and redo them.''

Now if he only didn't make a mistake like every two minutes Shirou would be satisfied.

His lack of dexterity aside, the red haired boy felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead as he heard the way 2B had kept addressing him for the past few hours. ''Umm, could you drop the whole 'Master Shirou' bit, it feels kinda weird, just call me Shirou.''

''Are you sure that's what you want, is it not proper to show your superiors the respect they deserve?'' 2B asked rather curious herself, it was the first time someone told her they didn't like to be properly addressed. However if she was being fair, she herself didn't enjoy it when 9S called her ma'am.

Shirou stopped tinkering with the pod and rubbed the back of his head again, uncertain of where this discussion was going. ''… That may be true, but I'm not your superior.''

''Of course you are for you are human, those I was created to serve. '' This remark from 2B didn't feel like just a simple remark to Shirou, but a solid statement.

''… If you say so.'' The boy muttered unsure, the discussion feeling like it was once again heading down an alley he wasn't familiar with. ''Look just call me Shirou, its simpler for both of us.''

''As you wish.''

With that the discussion ended rather abruptly.

Shirou wasn't sure what to feel about how it all just went down.

He always have had sibling like quarrels with Taiga every now and again. The two of them constantly bickering back and forth for a while before one of them (mostly him) eventually caved in. The point being that their arguments required a bit of time and process before things were actually settled.

The small conversations he had with 2B on the other hand felt… too easy if he were to describe it. Now 2B was anything but similar to Taiga of all people, but the fact still remained that this felt like there was barely any sort of fight from 2B. She stated her opinion, but that was about it, 2B didn't try to uphold it and simply let it go after he made his thoughts be known.

She was very submissive in a sense, which didn't feel very good with Shirou, it was making him feel like he was taking advantage of her or something.

This made Shirou stay silent for next half hour.

It also didn't help that 2B wasn't engaging in any kind of conversation besides telling him what to do next with the repairs.

When Shirou couldn't take this anymore he tried to start up a conversation again, though he spoke before thinking things through properly. ''So… uh…''

''Is there any problem?''

The young Emiya stuttered as he tried to put some order with his thoughts. ''No… it's just… would it be okay if I ask you some questions?''

''Not at all, proceed.''

That was good and all, but he didn't know what he wanted to know in the first place. Shirou took a moment and thought about all that had happened up until this point, and what were the things that he didn't have any understanding about.

Once he recalled the very first encounter with the android he spoke up. ''That day when I found you, there was no one around and yet there was this big crater with you in it all messed up. How did that even happen?''

That was a fair question 2B thought, but she wasn't sure about the exact answer herself. Everything after the activation of the experiment in that old base was a blank slate.

Perhaps a more detailed report going through the events that led up to it would be more beneficial.

''I was on a scouting mission together with my assigned partner when we were ambushed by hostile machine life forms within an old human research facility. It was during the battle that some sort of experiment was activated. I was in the middle of it when that happened and the next thing I knew I was in that crater with my body severely damaged.''

Shirou nodded slowly as he tried to process this, he had no idea what these machine life forms she mentioned were, but he had a hunch that those old rusty robot remains he found in the crater around 2B were just that.

All in all it sounded like something right out of a cartoon. 2B and her partner together on a mission exploring a facility, and then getting attacked by killer robots.

That aside, there was something in her explanation that got his attention. ''What about your partner?''

''I'm not sure... I pushed him away when the facility started initiating the experiment it was built for and ended up getting caught up in the blast. The last record I have of him was of him being right next to the platform where it all happened, but it should have been outside of the blast area.'' 2B explained with a small tone of sadness wrapped around her voice, now that she thought about it… this was the first time she and 9S were apart for so long… it made her realize how much she missed him and how desperately she wanted to see him. ''When I came back online I tried contacting him and the base, but I can't seem to connect to the network.''

Shirou thought about what 2B had said and sighed, this was probably one of those advanced and confusing technological stuff he saw in the movies. ''Wish I can help you with that but I'm not that good with modern technology. The fact that it took me months to make your voice return should make that pretty obvious.''

Sure he was able to repair simple devices like heaters, air conditioners, and maybe a TV on his better days but if he was given a computer to manage he would have a field day trying to fix it… though he might be able to repair one if he puts his head to it as long as it was just a hardware defect, if it was something he had to repair by fixing its software he would be completely lost.

Shirou grew up with basic utilities as his father wasn't all that into modern technology. He was a pretty minimalist person and could make due with very little at hand.

His father did own one of those laptops, but he never really did see him use it all that much. After his father died the thing was put into storage and left to gather dust as Shirou had no use for it.

… That and the damn thing had a password which Shirou was unable to crack.

Now the boy was well aware that snooping around in another person's belongings wasn't right, however he thought that he could learn a bit more about his old man. Because if he was being completely honest Shirou didn't know all that much about Kiritsugu Emiya, especially what his past was before he took him in.

Shirou sighed as he took a moment and looked at 2B, his eyes lingering at the wires and parts still sticking out from various parts of her body. ''Truth be told whenever I look at what's inside of you I can't help but wonder at all the parts and how intricately they all work like a human shaped clockwork.''

A big yet embarrassed smile spread on the boy face. ''I mean Japan is pretty advanced technologically speaking but I doubt we are able to create anything near as incredible to androids like you.''

Even though she didn't show it, 2B felt somewhat flattered by getting complimented like this. It was a very new experience to her, but she didn't dislike it.

The moment was short lived though as something felt like it clicked in her the very second she fully registered the entirety of Shirou's previous remark. ''Japan?... What do you mean by Japan?''

Shirou became very confused at her question, his eyes blinking repeatedly. ''The country you're currently in… you do know where you are don't you?''

Those words caused 2B to be unable to process what was going on for a couple of seconds.

2B was now drawing a blank.

This didn't make any sense to her.

She couldn't be in Japan that was impossible, for that human country no longer existed.

''This cannot be Japan… it was sunken at the bottom of the ocean during the seventh machine war.''

The red haired boy was unsure of how he was supposed to react to this statement. It was clear to him that 2B was in error here, but he was more curious about why she believed such a thing in the first place.

''Ummm… I'm pretty sure this is Japan, I would have known if my home suddenly ended up at the bottom of ocean floor. Also a seventh machine war… that's the first time I heard of anything like that.''

''This doesn't make sense….'' 2B muttered visibly shaken, unable to logically comprehend what she was hearing.

What was going on here?

Whenever she and other YoRHa units descended upon the earth from their bunker in space they were able to see maps of the world and its current state. Japan did not appear on any of them, there was nothing but the empty ocean.

No… it couldn't be.

Have the reports and records of the sinking of the Japanese archipelago been a lie?

Was it by any chance a cover up of some kind?

Were her superiors trying to keep something hidden here?

Like Shirou's existence?

Her silent contemplation didn't go unnoticed by the young Emiya, all of this making him feel more awkward than he already was. ''You think you're having a hard time processing all of this, I'm just a middle school student trying to repair an android of all things, if I were to tell anyone else in town about this they would probably think I went crazy.''

And with that one sentence Shirou sent 2B's mind into complete and utter chaos.

Her lips trembled and parted slowly, the words feeling like they were getting tangled up as she tried to speak them. ''W-Wait… you mean to tell that there are others like you in the vicinity?! Other humans?!''

The sudden outburst took Shirou by surprise; startling him and making him jump backwards from the unexpected action.

He didn't see what was so shocking about this that would cause the usually quiet and stoic 2B to shout like that, it wasn't like he was living in utter isolation like some sage cut off from civilization.

''W-Well, yeah, I mean Fuyuki isn't some big populated city like Tokyo but it still has a fairly large number of people living in it.'' Shirou explained slowly, unsure anymore of what he was talking about. ''You sound like there's something wrong with that…''

''It is… all you are telling me goes against everything I know of...'' 2B muttered in disbelief, trying to calm down and put to order everything in her mind, analyzing all the information that she currently had at hand.

Japan was not sunken as she was told.

Humans were still living within it even though the official records state that all of the remaining humans were supposed to have gone into hiding on the moon.

Shirou is clearly unaware of what she was or what she was talking about.

He mentioned that there were others like him close by, but he also mentioned that if he spoke of all of this no one would believe him.

Things were just not adding up.

All of these facts couldn't work together unless this area has been cut off from the world itself completely stuck in time before the downfall of the planet.

Wait…

_Time…?_

When she thought of that word… it echoed within her mind. The words from one of the journal entries she saw replayed within her.

_Science alone won't save humanity, what it needs for it to survive is a miracle, magic. I have to recreate the Blue to go back and stop all of this from ever happening._

Something suddenly clicked in the deepest corners of her mind.

Her being unable to contact the bunker.

No networks appearing on her scanners.

The lack of any machine life form signals.

The antique instruments used by Shirou to fix her.

Shirou's complete unawareness about what she was talking about.

The old facility and the experiment… a way to save mankind.

The light from the experiment that consumed her before she had awoken here.

_A miracle... Magic… Go back… Stop all of this from ever happening…_

…

All the pieces of this disturbing puzzle began falling into place, only to reveal to 2B a most mind shattering result.

It was ridiculous, the conclusion she drew was utter nonsense, but at the same time it WAS the only theory making any sense given what she currently knew.

The idea terrified her… if what she deduced was true… 2B wouldn't know what to do anymore.

With an ice cold sensation lingering in her stomach area she slowly spoke up, hoping that she was wrong. ''S-Shirou… this may sound odd, but could you tell me the current date.''

Shirou was unsure where this question suddenly came from but obliged her. ''Uh, sure it's the 2rd of March.''

That only made her fears intensify. It was the middle of June when she and 9S discovered the old facility. Dread filled her to the brim as she weakly asked. ''W-What year is it?''

''Uh, 2002, but why are you even asking?''

Before she could register something in her figuratively felt like it had just shattered.

2B's still working arm began shaking and twitching violently, fingers curling and clicking repeatedly in a disturbing manner, unable to keep her lips from quivering.

No…this couldn't be.

It just couldn't be real.

Shirou's eyes widened as he witnessed the panic attack 2B seemed to have, discarding his repair tools and rushing to her side, pinning her arm down before something bad happened.

The boy grunted as he tried to hold her down, but just her partially working arm was giving him a rough time of it. ''2B!? 2B are you okay!?''

Shirou's pleas were heard but the shaking took some time to cease and for 2B to finally calm down. For the first minute she merely stared blankly at Shirou, any traces of warmth were now gone, just a cold blank visage remained. ''No... I'm not.''

A thin line formed on Shirou's face, yet his eyes filled with deep concern for the white haired android. ''2B… what happened?''

The YoRHa soldier sat lifelessly next to Shirou, behind her visor, her eyes gazed at the boy and contemplated what she should do.

Should she be honest and tell him the truth?

Avoid telling him and keep everything to herself?

In all honestly… she didn't give a fuck anymore.

''Shirou… try not to panic from what I am about to say.'' 2B spoke coldly, her voice stripped of any emotion. ''I believe I might have come from the future.''

* * *

**Author notes**

And that was chapter 3

For those who worried about 2B's voice being broken like that well its back to normal as you can see. I'm not that cringy to keep that thing on for multiple chapters.

I always did wonder how 2B would act if she met a human. If it was 9s I could see him all excited and ask all kinds of questions but 2B was more difficult to imagine regarding how she would react. I think she would overall be very respectful and dutiful, but not submissive and venerating.

It's quite a curios case indeed since to her meeting a human would be the equivalent of us meeting God. All in all it's a matter of personal view, perspective and belief. Some may instantly bow down while others would instantly demand answers to the questions that consumed them all their lives. And there are also those that would need time to accept the fact that God exists.

I'm not much a religious person, so I'm trying to look at things from both a spiritual and logical point.

And now our termi- I mean YoRHa android has realized that she is in the past. Hope the way I presented it wasn't too bad.

The reveal however is very bad for 2B. Oh, and for those that hate exposition chapters, don't be scared, there won't be one next chapter.

Now there's one more chapter and the first arc concludes. I will need to come up with a name for it though... probably next time I will give one.

I believe this story is slowly gathering a bit of following. Who knows if it proves popular I will keep making more chapters.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	4. Lost beauty

Nightfall had spread quickly over the quiet city of Fuyuki. As the hours continued to pass into the night the moon glowed brightly in its full might, the light illuminating the courtyard of the home of a young Emiya Shirou.

It was already late and while Shirou was usually asleep at this hour, the past couple weeks he had been staying up and attending to the needs of his white haired guest.

''Third wire in fifth section.''

In the confines of his shed, with protective goggles around his eyes, Shirou was currently busy welding back the broken pieces of the machine called Pod 042 under the strict guidance of 2B.

''Second tube in ninth section.''

The burning scent of metal being melted invaded the red haired boy's nose as he tried to focus on his work and not let his hand slip. He had to vastly modify his welding set from its original state in order to even be able to use it on such small delicate parts.

Besides his tools even his goggles had also been modified since he needed to get his face incredibly close to be able to keep track of his work.

The flare from his welding died off and Shirou removed his protection, swiping away the layer of sweat that formed on his face. His amber like eyes stared at the pod as the melted red parts were quickly cooling and changing colors.

After everything cooled down he double checked everything, and made sure there weren't any parts that were not properly bonded.

Once his test was done he turned around and made some space, allowing 2B who was sitting behind him to get a better view of his handiwork.

''How is it?'' Shirou asked somewhat nervously, hoping he would get the green light on his first try for once and not have to do everything over again.

His heart raced in anticipation of the verdict from the gynoid. 2B would scrutinize his work, and repeatedly make him redo the various components till she deemed the level of work as acceptable. A lot of the time the changes seemed so slight to him that Shirou had no clue if the alteration he made would really make a difference in how the part worked. At times he couldn't help but feel 2B was either a perfectionist, or he was just a dumbass that kept making mistakes. However if he were a betting man, he would unfortunately probably choose latter over the former as more likely.

The YoRHa android took a moment to zoom in on the parts Shirou had repaired, it was quite a rough piece of work but she had to make do with what she had, expecting millimeter precision from the young human would be asking for too much. ''… Shouldn't be long before the pod becomes functional.''

''…I see.'' Shirou replied as he bent his neck and heard a loud pop from it, he looked down at his hand noting the time on his watch. He really kept losing track of time lately, if Taiga caught him awake at this hour he would never hear the end of it. ''… Well it's late so I'll call it a day.''

Shirou unplugged his welding device and put it together with rest of his repair kit aside. When that was done he walked next to 2B and covered her with a blanket, tucking it under her so she wouldn't feel cold at night.

The boy then silently walked over to the door, giving his goodbyes before leaving. ''Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow.''

''…'' 2B only stared but didn't reply.

There was no progress as usual.

Shirou could only sigh in defeat as he left, even though another day had passed and he made some progress with repairing the pod, he failed to make any more headway in regards to his relationship with 2B.

The past couple weeks had been challenging for him. Due to how 2B had seemingly cut off any communication between them besides the bare minimum when she gave instructions or checked his work. He couldn't help but sigh at the current state of affairs. His mind drifted to the last thing she said before she withdrew into herself.

_I believe I might have come from the future._

Ever since she said that the YoRHa android had become incredibly reserved.

When Shirou inquired about this she refused to speak to him anymore. Any sort of communication between the two of them had died that night.

No matter what Shirou said or asked she refused to answer unless it was related to the repairs he was doing.

In a strange and contradicting way she had become much more like a machine than she already was.

Shirou had no idea what he was supposed to do anymore. Sure he had the reconstruction of Pod 042 to complete but what about 2B herself? It was obvious that she was going through a very difficult time but how could he even help if she refused to speak to him?

The red haired boy had always been a bit socially awkward, so there was probably a lot of things he wasn't considering, but how can one person help another that seemed keen on rejecting any attempt to communicate with them?

Damn… he was too tired at the moment. His bed was calling to him, and he didn't have all that much time left either until he was supposed to wake up.

He could think things through tomorrow…. or was it later today?

Whatever, he had a pillow waiting for him and he couldn't stay up any longer.

As Shirou left 2B, the YoRHa unit could only watch and feel relieved. At the same time however now alone she experienced a terrifying fear.

2B sat and watched the moon from one of the shed's windows.

The moonlight slowly began to spread over her, illuminating her within the dark room. Her face a pure display of stoicism, yet from beneath her visor small glistening gems of sadness would fall.

She would always sob like this whenever she was left alone.

''Nines… if you were in my place, would you have given up like me?'' 2B's voice echoed in solitude, ever since the realization of what took place that day, she was unable to care about anything anymore, a cold pit constantly grew in her stomach whenever she thought about all of this. ''Or would you find the strength to go on?''

She did it… she finally did it… she escaped the never ending cycle she despised so much… but at what cost?

This was what she wanted more than anything… she craved the day she would be finally be free, she would have done anything for it.

And yet… now that she was free… what was her purpose for existing?

* * *

Tired… never before did Shirou ever felt so tired… did he even manage to get at least four hours of sleep last night before his alarm clock woke him up, the noise from it killing his head.

His eyes were burning while struggling to stay open. Time itself felt like it slowed down to a crawl, dragging out every moment, as if refusing to go by any faster.

When he got to school and class started his teacher began going over again about their grades and their options for high school, this was fairly normal since they were in their final year of middle school. This wasn't the first time this was brought up, but Shirou honestly didn't care. He had already decided where he wanted to go and his grades were fine so there was no point in listening to a rehashed lecture.

He yawned and closed his eyes for a little bit, hoping to get rid of the burning sensation in his eyes if only a little.

''Emiya-kun?''

The classroom sure felt warm, he was feeling quite cozy at the moment.

''Emiya-kun?''

Did someone call him? Nah, it wasn't break yet so there was no one who would call-

''Emiya-kun!''

Shirou's eyes snapped open from the sudden noise, said eyes darting in every direction to see what was going. ''W-Wait, what?''

In front of him his teacher gave the boy a stern glare but sighed as she took back the attendance book she just used to hit Shirou's desk and wake the boy up.

''Go to the bathroom and wash your face Emiya-kun, we can't have you dozing off in class in your last year of middle-school.'' She told the boy in a harsh but fair tone. Normally she would have made a student stand in the hall for falling asleep in her class, but this was Emiya Shirou, one of her most well behaved and hardworking students.

She would cut some slack to the boy just this once.

Shirou was lucky, if it were some other kid in his class like Matou Shinji he wouldn't have walked away with just getting his face washed.

''Y-Yes, I'm very sorry sensei!'' the boy got up and bowed before dashing straight to the restroom.

It was at this time that Shirou started to realize that in the future he had to schedule his time better.

* * *

''Man you sure look like a mess.'' Shirou looked passively towards his classmate Matou Shinji and took in the wry look he was giving him.

The red haired boy yawned as he rubbed one of his eyes. ''Do I?''

''Did you look into a mirror recently?'' Shinji sighed as he ran a hand through his blue seaweed like hair. ''Those bags under your eyes weren't there a couple of weeks ago. If I didn't know any better I'd say you look like you started doing boxing and forgot to dodge the punches.''

Shirou didn't comment on that remark and immediately took a moment to process this. Ever since this whole situation with 2B began he'd been spending many hours during the night trying to repair her and her pod. While he did want to work on her during the day, it was far too risky since Taiga could drop by at any moment to quote 'check up on him' (translation: eat his food). Last thing Shirou wanted to do was explaining to the hyperactive childish woman how he found an android and was now trying to repair her. That being said he had to wait until after Taiga finished visiting him and went home before he could get started, which usually was after nine in the evening, leaving him with very little time to attend to 2B since the repairs were very slow and delicate.

It was no wonder he was starting to look so haggard. ''Guess I've been getting side tracked with something I've been working on recently.''

''Are you for real?'' Shinji wanted to face palm at his so called friend. While Shirou was overall an okay guy in his book, he had a lot of moments where his actions and habits gave him headaches. ''We won't be having high school exams until later this year, you should take it easy while you still can.''

Shirou only laughed it off. ''Thanks for the worry Shinji.''

Shinji's eyebrow twitched as Shirou failed to see his point. ''Tsk, don't get all mushy with me, I just don't like seeing your face all droopy like this, it's annoying.''

The discussion soon derailed and went back to their usual talks. Stuff like Shinji complaining to him about various things such as homework, girls, and hobbies with Shirou listening to what he was saying while trying to be a good friend and support him.

Eventually the discussion headed towards to what their teacher was talking about earlier just before Shirou dozed off. ''So what high school do you plan to try for?''

''Homurahara duh, where else?'' the blue haired Matou replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Shirou only nodded in response and was inwardly glad of Shinji's choice since that was also his main choice for high school. While Fuyuki wasn't one of largest cities in Japan, it was still above the average in size, there was quite the number of high schools in the area with Homurahara being one of the top picks. The young Emiya thought it would be nice if they could still go on and be classmates in high school together as well.

The thing that made Shirou curious though was that he recalled Shinji having a different choice originally. ''Oh, well you always bragged about going overseas for high school so I was just curious.''

That made Shinji click his tongue in annoyance. ''That was the original plan, but I can't leave for the next couple of years so I'll probably leave for collage or something.''

Shirou blinked curiously, this was the first time he heard of this. ''Why is that?''

There a brief panic of the Matou boys face as he realized he almost spoke more than he was supposed to. ''P-Personal matters, it's none of your concerns.''

''Fine, fine, no need to bite my head off.'' Shirou waved his hands defensively.

''Anyway, you never told me why you look like a raccoon.'' Shinji brought up the initial discussion back up to get as far away as he could from the current one.

''I guess I've been tinkering way too much with machines lately.''

His friend was anything but amused. ''Lemme guess, some random kid at our school came to you all puppy dog eyes with a difficult request and you just couldn't say no.''

''Not quite… this is a personal project.''

From a certain point of view that was actually true, 2B never asked Shirou for his help as he chose to do it out of his own accord.

A blue eyebrow rose skeptically at Shirou's remark. ''Well that's new, can't imagine you having any time for yourself given how you constantly help anyone that seems to be in the slightest need.''

That remark didn't sit all that well with Shirou as much as he didn't show it. ''It's not wrong to help people in need Shinji.''

''It is when people take you for granted while doing it.'' he almost spat to the side in annoyance as he recalled how people were and are still treating Shirou in spite of him helping them out of sheer kindness. While he didn't care all that much for his classmate, it was still an obnoxious sight to see. ''How many of the people have you helped out that have actually returned the favor with anything besides a mere thank you?''

''We've been over this before, I don't need any reward, I'm satisfied knowing that I simply helped.''

''… Man you're so stubborn.'' Shinji clicked his tongue before going to rest his chin on his hand, an exasperated look presently on his face. ''Don't come crying to me when your selfless nature will get you into some deep shit you can't get out of anymore.''

''… Even if that happens I will not regret trying to help others.''

''Whatever.'' Shinji replied, once again rolling his eyes at his friend's remark. The day went on as normal, time and classes slowly trickled by until school finally ended, with Shirou eventually making his way home.

* * *

Shirou hummed as he stirred the contents in the wok, as tired and stressed he might have been, nothing helped to relax him better than cooking.

It became his hobby ever since he learnt the ins and outs of the kitchen. At first it was just a necessity, as apparently his father was a walking disaster in the kitchen to the extent he should never be allowed to be in one in the first place. So he had to take the job of preparing meals himself, just a chore in the beginning, but before he knew it the activity became something he greatly enjoyed.

The boy set the table and clapped his hands together in appreciation. While what he made wasn't exactly a fancy meal, it still turned out looking pretty good. Just as soon as Shirou split his chopsticks to begin eating he heard a loud banging sound rapidly approaching.

''Shirou I'm hungry!''

Like a walking calamity, in the form of a young lady, Taiga Fujimura stormed into the room with a yell and without so much as a knock on his door.

Shirou could only sigh tiredly at his legal guardian's antics. While he had no qualms of feeding or eating with Taiga, she could at least try to be less noisy about it. It was fine the first time they met or when she was still a teenager full of energy, but after she turned twenty it started getting old. ''You know I'm not an expert on manners, but I think you start with a good evening at least.'

''Well someone's seems awfully grumpy today.'' Taiga remarked as she sat down at the dinner table, grabbing a pair of chopsticks and splitting them completely ignoring Shirou's snarky remark.

''Whatever.'' Shirou was honestly quite tired so he wasn't in the mood to deal with his quirky older sister's antics thus he decided to skip chatting and focus on eating.

Taiga appeared to struggle with keeping her drool in her mouth as Shirou was plating her portion of food for her. The red haired boy didn't really see why she always reacted like that though; sure his food was good, but not that good. For a moment he thought he saw stars form in Taiga's eyes when he served her the fried rice he made. ''Can't get through the day without your cooking!''

His guardian immediately dug into the food when it was finally placed in front of her, a smile spreading to her ears as she savored every moment of each bite.

It was unfortunately a rather short lived moment though.

Taiga's face was bursting completely red after five seconds.

''Hoooooot!'' The tiger of Fuyuki roared in pain as she shot towards the fridge, leaving behind a very confused looking Shirou.

The boy kept blinking repeatedly as Taiga returned, chugging down the carton of milk as if she had just returned from the most arid of deserts and was dying of thirst. When the last drops of milk poured down on Taiga's tongue the woman let out a loud burp and threw Shirou a predatory like glare. ''What gives Shirou, are you trying to kill me?!''

''… Uh, no?'' the boy replied completely taken aback by what was going on.

''Then why is it so damn spicy?!'' The woman roared in demand.

Now that he thought about it, this time around he forgot to test taste his food as he cooked. Curiously he took a very small amount of his food and gently pressed it against his tongue, the spice hit him head on like a truck.

Fortunately, Shirou just barely tasted it so he didn't start screaming for water like Taiga did. If anything Shirou was just confused as to how this happened. ''… Wow, this is really spicy. I must have been distracted and added too many chili peppers.''

He found some nice looking chili peppers on sale today and thought it would be a waste not to buy some. Shirou wasn't much of a fan of spicy foods but he liked changing things up with the food he made from time to time. He enjoyed experimenting with the flavors of the food rather than increasing the heat of it.

The only thing he didn't understand was how side tracked he must have been to add in so many peppers without realizing it.

''… Shirou what's going on?'' Taiga narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, but beneath the harsh stare there was a note of clear concern for her little brother figure. ''You don't make cooking mistakes like this unless something is really bothering you.''

''… Nothing's going on.''

''Shirou.''

''No, really.''

''Fine, you leave me no choice then.'' Before the boy could react Taiga pounced on Shirou like a wild beast, shoving her fingers in between the boy's ribs. ''Tiger tickle!''

Unable to endure the torture Shirou burst out laughing. ''S-S-Stop Fuji-nee! N-Not the ribs! Not the ribs!''

The tiger didn't falter, quite the opposite, the pleas for mercy only further incited her and made her kick the tickling up a notch. ''Nope! Not stopping until you spill the beans!''

''Fine!'' Shirou conceded, his face faltering in shame as he was unable to endure the torture of the evil tiger woman. ''… You win.''

''Victory!'' She roared proudly before putting Shirou into a headlock and started messing with his hair. ''Now tell big sis what's bothering you.''

''Fine…'' Shirou surrendered and just went with it, perhaps talking about what's been bugging him recently might help him put some things into perspective. ''It's about a girl I know.''

At that moment he realized that he didn't just dug his own grave; he jumped head first right into it.

''Ohhhh?'' the tone Taiga had when she began made alarms ring in the back of Shirou's head. ''Does little Shirou finally have a crush on a girl?''

''C-cut it out, this is serious stuff.'' Shirou protested as he slipped out of the choke hold, certainly not embarrassed by the implication Taiga had just made.

Not embarrassed at all!

Taiga didn't attempt to capture Shirou again but the shit eating grin on her face didn't make the situation any more bearable. ''Fine, fine, mister serious, then explain to me what's this all about.''

Shirou took a moment to gather some order with his thoughts and come up with a proper explanation without giving to many details. If this situation with 2B had any risk factor of any kind he didn't want to involve Taiga in it in any way.

With an exhausted sigh the boy rubbed the back of his head and began explaining.

''Okay… so I recently met this girl. We kept running into each other pretty often but only recently did we start talking and there was this sort of excitement from her whenever she talked to me, but she… '' Shirou stopped for a brief moment, truth be told he himself didn't know what the problem with 2B was in the first place. ''She seems to have received some bad news recently and ever since then she barely talks anymore.''

There was another brief moment of silence as he recalled how 2B has been lately. He only saw her emotional side for a day at most, but he could still tell that the cold persona she took after she suffered that panic attack wasn't the real her. It was like all the emotions she previously had shown were just turned off.

''I guess she became very withdrawn. She wasn't the picture book of a chatty person to begin with, but she seems to be going through some rough times. She doesn't speak anymore unless it is something absolutely relevant.''

Taiga took a moment and let everything sink in, scratching the side of her head while scrunching her face in thought before she tried to give an answer.

''That's some pretty heavy stuff there Shirou… I'm no expert on psychology, but sounds like she's going through a bout of depression.'' She elaborated as she dropped all pretenses and jokes. This wasn't something to laugh about, judging by what Shirou was telling her, the girl was probably really hurting on the inside. ''Whatever it is that's bothering her it's probably making her avoid any interaction outside of anything necessary.''

This was far from her area of expertise. Taiga was an upcoming English teacher not a damn psychologist, it was hard for her to give any proper or helpful advice to Shirou that would actually work.

She honestly didn't have much experience with depression. Sure she was devastated when Kiritsugu died, hurt that the kind old man that she had a bit of a crush on was gone forever, but she got over it eventually.

In her case she was just sad, but she didn't shut off the people around her like this friend of Shirou is apparently doing.

While Taiga indeed didn't have any experience of this kind, she did know of someone who did go through something similar.

''You know my friend Neko-chan right?'' Shirou nodded as he recalled Taiga's friend and former classmate, Otoko Hotaruzuka, also known by the nickname Neko. ''Well I recall that a couple of years back her dad got really sick and was in the hospital for a while. Until her dad got better she was a completely different person, the usually cheerful and easygoing Neko-chan was completely depressed and seemed like she lost the ability to smile anymore.''

Taiga still had a hard time accepting that the person she knew could become so down and gloomy but she understood that what she was going through wasn't easy and it certainly had taken its toll on her friend.

''It was pretty difficult but I tried my best to cheer her up.'' Taiga explained slowly as she recalled those days. ''It wasn't easy for me, but at the very least I managed to make things a bit easier for her.''

She jumped up from her seat and pointed a finger at Shirou's chest to get her point across.

''Anyhow! The point of this story is if you know this girl is going through a rough time maybe it would help if she knew she had someone she could count on!'' Full of confidence and snapping back to her usual self Taiga struck a dramatic pose while finishing off her statement. Shirou could practically see the sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him.

That was nice and all, but it didn't exactly solve Shirou's dilemma. ''… I know that, but what I am supposed to do when she won't talk to me about what's bothering her?''

''You'll figure something out!'' Taiga playfully smacked him across his head as if to get rid of all the negativity in it. ''Forcefully sticking your nose into her business would be rude, so just try to show that you're willing to help her no matter what's bothering her.''

Taiga was well aware that Shirou couldn't turn down helping someone in need but if he came off too insistent he may end up looking shady or creepy to this girl. Last thing she wanted were rumors of her little brother being some sort of pervert spreading around the city.

Shirou took a moment and processed all of this in. Truthfully he couldn't force 2B to tell him what was wrong and there's no way to help her if she didn't want him to in the first place.

As things currently stand he had no actual way to help her at the moment. However, going from what Taiga had said as long as he can make it so she understands that in spite of whatever is troubling her she can count on him to be there for her.''…Huh, that was actually helpful Fuji-nee.''

''You talk like as if my advice isn't always helpful.''

''They're not.'' Shirou stated dead serious, recalling the time Taiga thought it would be a smart idea to pour wine directly in the stew, and she wondered why it was ruined, you were supposed to burn off the alcohol before you finished the stew not the other way around. There was also the time she tried making flambé crepes in his kitchen, the crazy woman almost burned his precious kitchen down. ''Most of the time they're simply stupid.''

Taiga only smiled sweetly as she bared her claws once more before pouncing on her prey yet again. ''Tiger tickle!''

The screams went on throughout the evening until Taiga finally left for home.

* * *

2B was bored...

Sitting around in this room like this was truly monotonous. Sure she didn't do much in her free time before all of this, but she would occasionally go for a walk around the bunker or chat with operator 6O.

Recalling the veiled android made 2B feel a bitter sensation in her mouth.

''_How ironic.''_ The YoRHa android thought to herself.

She often found the constant complaining nature of 6O rather annoying, as well as her many attempts to chat with her. Looking back… she now realized that she actually enjoyed the meaningless small interactions she had with that particular android.

6O would have definitely liked Shirou, 2B couldn't help but imagine 6O snuggling with Shirou the moment she saw him. The operator android did always have a soft spot for cute things after all.

The sound of the door opening broke 2B out of her little reverie as a familiar figure appeared.

''Hey there.'' Shirou greeted the YoRHa android before he stepped in; curiously 2B noted he was carrying some kind of folded device with his arm as he pushed it along.

The boy walked in front of her and stood there for a couple of seconds awaiting any form of reply from 2B. When he saw that he was still getting the silent treatment he sighed and started unfolding the device he brought with him. ''Figures…''

When he was done Shirou turned back to 2B and lifted her arm, inwardly pumping himself up as he knew this wouldn't be an easy task.

The YoRHa unit was confused as to why Shirou wrapped her arm around his neck and looked so serious. Even though recently she tried to avoid talking to him, she had to know what he was planning. ''What are you doing?''

Shirou stiffened for a brief moment, surprised that 2B actually spoke to him again. ''Well… I think it's time for a change of pace.''

That cryptic answer didn't satisfy 2B, her attention briefly shifting at the device Shirou had placed in front of them, unable to recognize it. ''What is that device?''

''It's called a wheelchair, it's used to move around people with walking disabilities.''

''I see…'' 2B inwardly nodded, so this was one of those so called wheelchairs that humans used back in the day. Not that she had the possibility of seeing one before, androids had no use for such devices, if their legs were cut off they could always get them replaced or if their nervous system was damaged they could get it repaired later. There was no need for such a primitive form of transport; it was a waste of good materials.

While 2B understood that Shirou wanted to use it to take her somewhere, the question that stayed in her mind was where exactly?

Shirou mentally counted down from to three to one and pushed with all the strength he could muster, lifting up and placing 2B in the wheelchair.

''Phew…!'' the boy breathed tiredly as he wiped the sweat on his forehead off. As feminine and delicate as 2B may have looked she was just so heavy. While Shirou had little to no pride in himself, somehow the idea of him not being able to lift her up was annoying. ''I should start increasing my work out routine.''

Once he caught his breath, Shirou walked around and got the blanket 2B used. Wrapping the blanket around the gynoid's body to cover the still exposed mechanical parts, he left only her hands and head exposed.

With that covered he took a closer look at 2B's face, at her messed up hair and the dirt and dust covering her features. ''Now let's get you all cleaned up.''

He grabbed a clean cloth and dabbed it in water, from there he proceeded to slowly and gently wipe away the dirt from her face.

There was no visible reaction from 2B, inwardly growing all more curious to why the boy was doing such an action.

Shirou had stopped for a brief moment when his thumb brushed against her lower lip, feeling its unbelievable softness. The boy instantly got embarrassed and retracted his hands as he once again noted how beautiful 2B was. The awkwardness was in full effect at that moment, after shyly looking back at 2B he noticed that he was done and her face was now clean.

After a couple of moments of mental recovery Shirou snapped out of his daze and got back to work, pulling a comb out of his pockets he began arranging 2B's messed up hair.

It was very surprising to him how real 2B's hair felt. He knew she was an android and all, but it was simply fascinating how human she felt. If he were to pass by someone like 2B on the street he wouldn't be able tell them apart from a real human.

Once the little combing session was done Shirou pondered if there was anything left to do before he could put his plan into action. A small realization hit him as he stared at the piece of cloth wrapped around the androids eyes. ''Say 2B, you can see through that thing around your eyes right?''

2B once again didn't answer and just kept track of what the boy was doing, failing to understand why he cleaning her up and why he asked about her visor.

''I'll take that as a yes.'' Shirou sighed, hoping his plan will work. ''Anyway I apologize in advance.''

He took out a thin scarf from his pocket and unfolded it, slowing beginning to wrap it above 2B's visor. This action further confused the YoRHa android. ''What are you planning?''

''There's something I want to show you, but it's a surprise so please bear with this for now.''

''A surprise?'' even if her face didn't show it, 2B felt quite out of her element at that moment.

''Yeah, so I can't have you looking until it's ready.'' Shirou explained as he finished wrapping the scarf around her eyes.

With everything set and done he began pushing the wheelchair and heading towards his planned destination, hoping that this will be able to help 2B like he hoped. 2B was not exactly sure what was going on anymore.

It's had been about sixty minutes since Shirou began transporting her to who knows where. Very soon after they left the shed she felt the change in temperature, it was much milder compared to the ones she was used to. The changes that took place on the planet have caused the normal temperature values to reach levels beyond the current ones she was feeling.

To an android or machine it didn't equate to being much, but to a human the atmosphere of the world 2B knew was far too unbearable for any normal human to endure. In her era temperatures of thirty degrees were considered cool days.

Along the way she also encountered a series of foreign sounds, many of them reminiscent of those of machines but they sounded much more primitive.

There was also an unusual sensation that 2B constantly felt, something small and very smooth brushing against her face every couple of seconds.

The journey came to an end eventually and Shirou was mentally hoping to himself that this will work.

''We're here, sorry for the long wait.'' He slowly tugged on the scarf and beginning to unfold it. ''I will take off the scarf.''

When the piece of fabric came off a powerful gust of wind blew, making what 2B saw even more impactful.

* * *

**Insert OST- Fate/stay night: Ocean of memories**

* * *

It was a gorgeous sea of pink everywhere she looked.

Delicate and ephemeral.

Dancing in the gentle wind breeze were thousands upon thousands of cherry blossom petals. She'd only read about them in books before, as they have long since vanished from the world she knew.

What she saw was something that would forever be engraved in her memories.

Life.

There, mere meters away from where she stood were humans.

Men, women, and children of different ages were all enjoying themselves without a care in the world. A pair of old men were playing chess on a bench, a group of kids were playing innocently in the sandbox, their parents close by chatting and laughing among themselves, and at another bench a man was laying on the lap of his significant other as she caressed his hair.

This was something ripped right out of a documentary 2B saw so long ago, even though she knew it was real, there was a part of her that felt like all of this was just an illusion.

Shirou gazed at the YoRHa android, surprised by her expression. At first glance it didn't seem like much but after the time they spent together Shirou began noticing the various small signs of emotion 2B showed. She was clearly taken aback by what she was seeing before her.

He had brought her on the hillside of one of the city's parks, where he knew that people would still be around at this hour. While he had no clue as to why 2B was acting the way she did, it was clear that once she learnt there were others humans around it affected her. If Shirou were to believe that her statement that she is from the future to be true, from the way she had reacted and her overall behavior up until that point, something was _very wrong_ in future.

Shirou could only use movies as inspiration to conclude that the future wasn't a very happy place. Perhaps he can't even begin to imagine how bleak it is and what kind of life 2B had went through over there. While it was a bit of a long shot, he thought that maybe perhaps showing her _his world_ might help her out.

''You were stashed in my shed for such a long time already. I thought that a change of scenery might be a good idea. ''

A lone petal landed in the palm of her still functioning hand. With great difficulty she picked it up with her fingers and felt the soft petal brush against them. The wind began to blow again and the petal got taken by the breeze, joining the others in their dance within the sky.

Was this truly the same world that was she created in?

Words left her mouth by themselves. ''So beautiful…''

Shirou offered a small nod as he gazed at the cherry blossoms together with her. He was lucky now that he thought about it, their blooming season will soon be over and after that there wouldn't be any chance to see them again for at least another year. This was also one of the reasons why he chose this park, knowing how beautiful the trees here were. ''Yeah, Japan is pretty famous for their cherry blossoms in spring.''

There was a brief moment of silence as 2B took in the whole image she was witnessing.

''Not just those… I meant everything.'' Everything that she could see with her two eyes, be it the people or the inanimate objects, everything felt… alive. ''The world that I know is broken and barren.''

The way 2B was comparing what she knew with what she was currently seeing couldn't begin to compare. It was like looking at two pictures, one in black and white while the other was bursting with bright colors. The first one was sad and dull while the other was vivacious and filled with emotion.

She felt like she was in a daze, completely charmed by what she was witnessing, temporarily forgetting about herself and her inner struggles, soon she began shedding some light on things to Shirou and opening up to him.

''There are so many things that had changed from where I came from… so many things.''

2B had been deployed many times on the surface of the planet, in many different regions. She was able to see so many of the world's corners… so many of its scars.

''The balance of nature had shifted beyond control. Vegetation grew uncontrollably in cities, buildings and monuments that once stood proud were broken down and crumbled away. The climate change caused the meltdown of large percentage of the planets ice, the water levels rising and submerging many of the world's countries, desertification spread so much in areas that were once flourishing with greenery that they turned to sand, becoming wastelands. ''

How ironic… even if mankind would have returned one day, their home was far too broken for them to live in it anymore.

The Earth she knew was no longer the home of mankind; it was just a rotting carcass with other beings left to crawl on it.

''The only things left were the very few animal races that managed to adapt to the environmental changes, machine life forms that at one point had invaded the planet… and finally the androids that were left behind by mankind. ''

Her hand began twitching as the memories replayed in her mind. She spent years upon years of marching onward, fighting in that desolate world, all for the sake of long gone gods.

''Empty… no matter where I went… no matter how much or how far I searched… it was all empty… there were no humans.''

She came to terms a long time ago that humanity was gone and that she will never see her creators.

It was a universal truth for to her.

One that was just utterly shattered to her with this one powerful image she was witnessing.

''I… I… I never thought I would ever see humans alive like this.'' Her voice was shaken, finding it very difficult to pick the right words to describe what she truly felt. ''I-It's very… curious.''

She resented humanity.

No matter what she said, deep down she held a deep resentment for them.

Fighting in the name of those that no longer existed.

Suffering and killing for nothing.

All the excitement she felt when she realized Shirou was human wasn't as genuine as she let on. She wasn't happy for meeting a human, no, she was happy because she thought she could finally get her questions answered.

And maybe find some sort of purpose for her miserable existence.

When she understood what had truly happened to her, meeting Shirou became a curse. It would have been better to just leave her in that crater and let her body rust away.

It was a cruel joke to meet Shirou, a human, and yet for him to not even know what she was.

He wasn't alone… She now had humans in front of her, but her questions would still remain unanswered.

Perhaps this was what humans meant by 'twisted irony'.

It was like fate wanted for her hatred towards humans to grow even more.

She was crafted to serve mankind. It was a command implemented down to her very core, no matter what she felt for them, this was why androids were created.

2B knew she could not learn to truly care for humans.

Yet… in spite of all this… she didn't understand how it was possible for her to find all that she was witnessing before her very eyes to be so beautiful.

Shirou sat in silence next to her, watching over her like a vigilant guardian. He wasn't sure if 2B even realized that she began crying, but he chose to not comment about it.

The boy tried his best to listen, remembering the advice Taiga had given him, taking it slow and showing his support. He placed his hand over 2B's shoulder and offered her a warm smile. ''… 2B, there's a lot of stuff I don't understand and there's also a lot of stuff I probably won't be able to do, but I want you to know that I will try my best to help you.''

A dry chuckle escaped the female android's lips, she couldn't decide if the boy was kind or foolish. ''You are right… there's so much you are unaware of… about where I came from… about what I saw… what I _did_… would you truly still say such words once learnt the truth?''

Shirou sighed and scratched his head in thought; when she put it like that it felt like he was getting himself in way over his head. He barely knew 2B, the way she put it things weren't very pretty when it came to her past… or Earth's future? Honestly the whole time traveling thing was beyond him.

He was very naive, Shirou was well aware of it. Placing his full trust in 2B unquestionably like this would be considered foolish by most. Trusting her completely wasn't what a sensible person was supposed to do… but it was what he wanted to do. ''Ok look, all of this might be confusing and straight out terrifying at the moment but understand that you aren't alone in this.''

His grip on her shoulder tightened ever so slightly, not enough to hurt her, just enough for her to feel it. Shirou did his best to give her a gentle smile. ''I'll be there for you... so don't let it drag you down.''

_What a fool…_

2B's slowly lifted her hand and reached for Shirou's. It was anything but easy, her hand still didn't work properly, and it was a real struggle to move it even by an inch. Yet she still pushed forward to reach the boy.

Twitching and trembling fingers brushed against the ones of Shirou, intertwining and linking together. 2B's eyes trembled beneath her visor as she saw Shirou's hand, it was still bruised from the first time their hands touched.

A bitterness filled 2B as her hand held onto his.

There was so much the android was uncertain off. Questions like what she is supposed to do now or if she even deserves to still be alive floated through her head.

Shirou was right… she was confused… terrified. The pressure she felt was so heavy… like it would crush her at the first moment of weakness.

She could not do this alone… she never could.

What Shirou was doing for her sake… his words… they gave her a warm feeling deep inside of herself… but it felt so wrong, as if her feeling was a mistake.

Whether this was the right choice or not, she wasn't sure. As contrary as it was for her, she decided to listen to what she felt deep down inside herself rather than what her logical thought process told her.

''… Thank you Shirou.''

''Anytime.'' He smiled kindly at her.

Shirou was glad… he knew that this was hardly close to solving all of 2B's inner conflict but even it was just a small step, it was a start.

He didn't know how long it would take to solve all of her problems. All that he knew was that he will try his best to help her with them.

''C-Could you show me more of this world you know?'' 2B asked awkwardly.

''It will be my pleasure.'' Shirou chuckled as he began pushing the wheelchair along the path.

Words were not needed to be exchanged.

The two of them simply continued their stroll through the rain of cherry blossoms enjoying each other's company and admiring the scenery together.

* * *

**Author notes**

And with this we concluded the very first arc of this fic.

I guess I will call it 'The lost wings' arc. (Originally wanted to go with 'The lost agent' arc but I think Tite Kubo would call out for rights over the name)

If you're gonna complain that I made Shinji and Shirou way too friendly, it's actually canon, the two of them used to have a pretty decent friendship before Shinji went on the douchebag route.

Anyway I tried to think how would be the most proper way for 2B to react once she knew she was in the past. If this was a more easy going series it would have probably be seen as good thing, like she can now stop the tragedies from ever occurring and save the future.

I couldn't see that happening with the current characters and facts. All that 2B knew was her duty, her suffering and the broken world in which she experienced them. Even if what happened could be seen as an escape of the suffering it could become overwhelming since 2B didn't know anything else, and she is alone… no commander, no O6, no 9S… she is alone in a world that she doesn't know. It would be poor choice if the event didn't terrify her at some extent.

And Taiga was surprisingly useful for once, now that's new.

Anyhow hope you have enjoyed these past chapters. I honestly don't know if I will keep this up on a regular basis, heck the only reason I was able to update it so fast was because I had the chapters done in advance.

Well that could change if I believe this story is popular and there is demand for it.

Well until next time, see you later.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	5. The observers

It happened on the day 2B had arrived to this era.

Her sudden appearance did not go unnoticed, and anyone within the vicinity that was magically aware was able to feel that something had happened.

Perhaps it was only dumb luck that Shirou Emiya was right in the area were 2B first appeared that made him be the one to find her. Had the boy simply stayed at home that day, the YoRHa android would have been discovered by someone else entirely, and suffered at their hands.

This tragedy was avoided simply due to Shirou being fast enough to act and move 2B away.

After he left, it took less than an hour for others to locate the source of the magical surge they felt that day and arrive at the source of the disturbance.

Kotomine Kirie narrowed his eyes as he looked down from the craters edge, carefully scanning it. As a former executor of the holy church, the man had been in many places and seen many things so he was easily able to spot the signs of battle.

Whatever took place here was certainly not a fight or a murder. No clear signs of combat nor any blood or human remains could be found anywhere around. The area had only one single point of damage, compact and precise, not something you normally find after an intense altercation.

At a first glance, one could perhaps assume that someone decided on testing bombs here given the small fragments of metal and bolts sticking atop the ground. However, the energy he felt as well as the state of the area around him showed that a form of magecraft was involved here.

This didn't feel right, but at the same it wasn't all that weird for the catholic priest either as he saw plenty of strange things during his days as an executor. And that's not even counting the events that transpired in Fuyuki eight years ago during the 4th Holy Grail War.

Truthfully none of this wasn't really all that bothersome for the man, but he digressed as he still had his duties to perform. To make sure that whatever took place here is contained and information doesn't leak out.

All in all, from what he could see it was nothing special.

If anything it looked like some bored magus decided to blow something up here simply to pass time.

Now that the priest thought about it, he wouldn't have been surprised if his student was the one that decided to come here and vent out her frustrations by blasting the surrounding area.

Speaking of which, said student had finally arrived at the meeting spot.

''Oh, there you are Rin, it's about time you-''

The priest didn't get to finish his sentence as Tohsaka Rin proceeded, while keeping true to form, to kick him in the shin with a low kick.

''May I know what was that for?'' the man spoke in his usual uncaring tone, but his leg was definitely hurting from her attack. The priest wasn't sure if he should lament the action of Rin for kicking him out of the blue or praise her for her progress in properly utilizing the hand to hand combat techniques he was teaching her.

The twin tailed girl didn't respond immediately to Kirei and instead chose to glare at him, her hair still a mess as she had just woken up from bed a short time ago. She was unable to take care of her appearance due to how quickly she had to respond. Something which served to only make her mood worse and deepen her ire at the man in front of her.

''You were well aware that today was my day off! That means no school, no training, no nothing, and just me sleeping in as much as I want with nothing to bother me.'' If words alone could hurt, the tone the young Tohsaka had given him would have stung him. ''Then some fake priest jackass calls me, ruins my sleep, and tells me to get over here without as much as explaining what's going on.''

She stepped right in front of him to make sure the older man saw the seething annoyance in her eyes. Kirei was totally unfazed by it, but found no reason to point that out to Rin and have her stomp on his foot to get the message across. ''So excuse me if I'm feeling just a little bit irritated.''

''… Are you done?''

''Depends on why you called me here. I swear to God if this is another one of your unannounced training sessions my next kick will be aimed at your balls.''

Kirei only smiled genuinely in response to her as he went on. ''Then I'm fortunate that this isn't about training.''

''Then what is it?'' Rin asked, her tone still surly.

''I'm not particularly sure of it myself, but whatever the case may be, it involves you as this lands second owner.''

Rin narrowed her eyes at this and let go of her irritation, now fully alert and serious she focused on the person in front of her. ''Explain.''

''It was during today's sermon at the church that I felt some sort of power erupt from this place.'' Kirei explained slowly as he recalled the event. It was quite the bad timing for him, the unexpected sudden surge of energy making him react and crush the sacramental wine he was holding. The people at the sermon were certainly taken aback by his actions to say the least. However, it would have risen too much attention if he suddenly left after that. So he chose to simply continue on and finish mass acting like everything was fine. ''Once I was done with my duties as a priest I went searching for the source of the unexpected outburst of power.''

The man opened his arms and solemnly directed them at the crater he sitting next to. ''What I found was this.''

Rin was quite skeptical about what she was shown. ''A hole?''

Her teacher on the other hand was still keeping his all knowing smile. ''Rin, you are a gifted magus, concentrate and feel the air around you.''

The heir of the Tohsaka family didn't like the smug smile Kirei had from time to time, it really made her want to punch him. As if she didn't have enough of a reason to hit him already given that he had administered her family's money and properties so badly that she almost went broke.

She knew that managing finances wasn't exactly on the man's resume but how much of screw up did you have to be to lose so much money and property?! What did he do, blow it all on church donations?!

Rin honestly didn't know why she didn't just strangle the fake priest the day he delivered the bad news.

However as much as she wanted to complain at the moment, Rin decided to humor her teacher and did as he asked.

The reaction was instant.

''W-What's going on here?'' she muttered completely baffled, her left hand shaking ever so slightly without her consent. ''The surrounding areas mana feels so… chaotic?''

If mana in the area normally felt like the surface of a lake, now it felt like someone threw in something huge in it causing a series of uncontrollable waves.

Usually when an area was affected it was something along the lines of small ripples, this on the other hand was so much more intense and unstable.

Rin didn't have the slightest clue as to what could have caused such a destabilization within the area's mana.

''That's what I want to find out myself.'' Kirei muttered as he began walking along the edge of the crater, his eyes carefully scanning the charred bottom. ''I considered that maybe a magus was performing some experiments here, but the idea grew more unlikely as I further investigated.''

This got Rin's attention, as much as she didn't like to admit it, Kirei was still a former executor of the church who was involved in many magical related conflicts in the past. While Rin had no doubt that she had Kirei beaten in the theoretical department when it comes to magecraft, the man outclassed her in actual real life experience regarding it. ''What do you mean?''

''The person here was too sloppy in covering their tracks. A real magus wouldn't have left such obvious traces here, I can only deduce it was someone unaffiliated with the moonlight world.'' Kirei explained as he pointed to the small tire tracks in the crater that extended all the way outside, probably from a small cart of some kind. In addition to that, there were also a lot of footprints lying around that could make it easy to identity the perpetrator if they could find any possible suspects. The ash on the ground had given them some obvious clues… too obvious if Kirei could say so himself. It felt it was far too noticeable for them to be real… although there are always straightforward and simple cases from time to time. ''Either that or it really was a fool that forgot to cover his tracks.''

''You seem awfully confident in what you're saying.''

A smug smile beamed on the priests face. ''Rin, tracking down heathens and heretics is my specialty.''

Rin wanted to roll her eyes, like she didn't know that already, but at the very least it was in her own interest this time. ''So you can track down whoever was here then.''

''That I'm not certain, as you yourself said that mana in this area is disrupted. If magecraft was used it will be difficult to discern what it was used for and if it can be traced. Even if magecraft wasn't used the disruption in this area will make any methods I know invalid.'' He paused as he rearranged his collar. ''It would only lead to a wild goose chase on my part.''

And like that Rin felt like something had snapped in the back of her head. ''So why did you even bother calling me over in the first place!?''

Kirei chose not comment about her shrieking or how his ears now rang. Rin had always been little firecracker so to say, but ever since she started going through puberty it jumped up a couple of ranks much to his own headache. ''It is your duty as the second owner of this territory to handle this, you will have to make a report and take proper action if you don't want one day for the enforcers to come knocking on your door. Should any kind of incident arise because of what happened here, you will be the one held accountable.''

The young Tohsaka wanted to comment about this, but she stopped and thought about it for a moment. Agitation spreading across her face as she narrowed her eyes at the frustrating older man.

''… I hate it when you're right.''

''I'm simply doing my job as your legal guardian and humble servant of God.''

Rin muttered something under her breath which Kirei couldn't quite make out, but something in the back of his mind was telling him that it was probably a string of profanity aimed towards him.

His student's attitude aside, he was inwardly smiling with much satisfaction.

From personal experience Kirei knew that stunts like this would come back to bite you later on if you don't take the necessary precautions. The clock tower, one of the central institutions of the magus society, would become quite curious if they happened to catch wind of this event without them being informed about it first.

After all, it makes the situation appear very suspicious for such activity to take place and for the second owner not informing them about it. In fact it would almost make it seem like they were trying to hide something from them which in turn could lead to an actual investigation being started here.

The priest mused to himself, as long as he 'checks' Rin's report once she signed it he could make sure to make it appear as something insignificant. Thus not requiring any further involvement from the clock tower.

After all he can't risk any investigation being started in the city.

It would be very problematic for him if word got out about his _guest_ back at the church.

For it would be quite a disappointment to be found out right when there was only two years until he could finally reach his destiny.

Whatever grandiose plans the priest secretly had were interrupted by the sudden aching of his leg. Looking to the side Kirei could only sigh in tired confusion to why Rin had kicked him yet again.

''And that was for?''

Rin only glared at Kirei. ''You didn't have to wake me up so early for this at all, you could have dragged me here at any time later on and yet you still woke me up even though you knew it was my day off.''

A shrug was all that the priest showed crossed his arms, one of them sliding under the opposite one's sleeve. ''I only considered that the faster we dealt with it the better.''

A sound of steel cutting the wind echoed in the area. Rin blinked slowly as she just realized that she missed it. In a fast and precise moment Kirei pulled out a bladed weapon out of his sleeve and threw it at a nearby tree. ''Besides, we are not the only ones here.''

At this cryptic message Rin gazed at the direction Kirei was looking towards. As she looked Rin noted that a few meters from them the black key that Kirei just threw was stuck in a tree, and something small and grey was pinned down by the blade. The disgusting thing kept twisting and slithering around trying to break free. Rin instantly knew what the slimy creature was and who it belonged to. ''Worm familiars… Matou Zouken.''

In Fuyuki you could count on your fingers the number of people in this city that were aware of the existence of the supernatural, and one of them was Matou Zouken, the still active head of the Matou family.

''Indeed.'' Kirei nodded solemnly as he crossed his hands behind his back, as he surveyed the surroundings he found that there were no other worms to get rid of.

The young Tohsaka heir narrowed her eyes dangerously at the priest, this didn't sit very well with her at all. ''Do you think he had any hand in this?''

''I highly doubt it, the old corpse is many things but careless is not one of them. If this was his handiwork he wouldn't have left any evidence behind, especially any familiars that would point suspicion directly at himself.''

Rin nodded as she tried to draw some conclusions of her own given the current information she had. ''So I take it he sent his familiar to check out this place just as we did.''

''Given that I was able to feel the surge of mana all the way from the church then it's safe to assume Matou Zouken did as well.'' Kirei elaborated as the corner of his eyes drifted back to the impaled worm on the tree trunk, his lips drawing a thin cold line. ''At the very least he didn't come here in person.''

That last remark didn't go unnoticed by Rin, in fact it somewhat intrigued her. ''You talk like you don't want to see him.''

''I do not.'' The former executor firmly replied.

Rin opened her mouth to comment on the stern way Kirei answered but she stopped and recalled her own encounters with the head of the Matou house. On the surface he seemed like your run of the mill decrepit old man, but whenever she was near him her instincts immediately screamed to get away as far as possible from him. While the man wasn't openly hostile, always holding himself in a neutral if not grumpy manner like any old man, there was always this sort of impending feeling of danger around him. A vague feeling that implied that if she wasn't careful she would be swallowed whole by him.

It bothered Rin knowing that _she_ was the one who always had to deal with him due to her position as second owner. As well as the fact that...

_No._

She isn't her responsibility anymore.

The lines had been drawn long ago, and Rin had her own duties to deal with.

There is no room for such feelings in the life of a magus.

Rin pinched her thigh to get rid of those unnecessary thoughts. ''Huh, I know he's rather disturbing but he must be something else if he managed to creep even you out of all people.''

''… Indeed.'' Kirei replied in a dead tone, which only further proved Rin's remark.

The Tohsaka heir said nothing more and proceeded to continue her inspection with Kirei in silence, the quicker she was out of here and away from the fake priest the better.

However, little did they know that both of them were being watched by someone else besides the likes of Matou Zouken. As well as that even now, the mysterious figure was currently keeping a close eye on them.

* * *

The Kotomine/Tohsaka pair had spent a good majority of the day within the forest, looking for clues and any sort of leads that could take them to the person that was here before them, but much to their annoyance they failed to find anything relevant.

In any case Rin did take things seriously and took earth, ash, and scrap fragments from the crater to analyze at home in her workshop where she had proper working equipment to run her mysteries.

Whatever she would find from them it was too soon to give an answer, what she hoped for was that whatever the samples did contain would reveal to be something worthwhile.

By the time the sun had set in Fuyuki the two of them had finished their business and left. But not before placing several wards around the perimeter to make sure that if the person who was there did return, they would know. They also placed a variety of magical traps to capture said person as well just in case.

Their preparation and thoroughness in their work causing the current headache of the lady that had arrived to the forest an hour ago.

It was a day like any other, she was just minding her own business traveling around the country when she felt a huge explosion of power, one that sent shivers down her spine.

While she wasn't in Fuyuki at the time, she felt it nonetheless. This was a curious case, no one should have been able to feel it outside of the limits of the city and yet she was able to feel it in spite of the considerable distance.

Perhaps she had a more sensitive perception of magecraft?

Perhaps it was nothing more than a hunch proven right?

Or maybe, just maybe, she was able to feel it because how eerily similar the nature of that power was to the woman.

Locating the source wasn't a difficult task for her but dismantling so many wards and traps without triggering them certainly was a pain in the ass.

Blasting everything to smithereens would have been so much easier, but she digressed, dealing with the aftermath that followed would probably be even more annoying.

''Just what had happened here?'' her voice echoed in concern as she stood on the ridge of the crater, the wind blowing gently making her crimson hair glow in the pale moonlight.

All of her senses were telling her this place felt wrong and yet she couldn't find the source of it.

An hour passed, then two, time went by as she continued investigating the area. Still despite her best efforts she had yet to find any clue as to what had truly taken place here.

All the while she felt like there was someone in the shadows watching her every move.

At one point she just had enough of it all, so she simply decided to take care of it.

''I know you're there, so show yourself already.''

There was no response at first, but moments later the air from above the crater started to look distorted. Then in a flash of rainbow colored lights something had appeared standing before her.

Or it was more precise to say that someone had appeared.

Levitating above the crater was a throne, sitting in that said throne was a grey haired old man dressed in black robes inscribed with intricate designs on it, giving off a sort Victorian flare to them.

The old man's crimson eyes drifted to the woman, a smug yet kind smile spreading across his lips as his throne descended and landed down next to her.

He got up and arranged his robes, giving the woman a courteous bow followed by taking her hand and proceeding to give it a soft kiss.

Tense as the situation at hand was, the elder didn't forget how to be a proper gentleman.

''Oh, you managed to sense me, there's certainly an improvement since the last time we've seen each other Miss Blue.''

Her lips were a flat line, but the sudden twitch of her left eye showed her annoyance at that nickname.

If there was one thing Aozaki Aoko, the master of the fifth magic hated it was that damn nickname in spite of how annoyingly accurate it was due to her given name. It also didn't help that the title of her magic was simply 'The blue' either.

''Don't call me that.'' Aoko stated dryly as she pulled her hand away, narrowing her eyes at the old man in front of her. ''Are you the one behind this Kaleidoscope?''

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, one of five living Magicians capable of True Magic only smiled and waved his head in denial.

''Not at all, I simply dropped by as I felt the same disturbance you felt.''

Aoko didn't buy this at all. If there was one thing she knew, it was that the man in front of her was anything but normal. Both physically and mentally, being a Magician and then turned into a vampire tends to affect you in various ways to say the least. ''You would have me believe such a disturbance happened within the very space-time fabric of this area and you are not involved at all?''

The old man only rolled his eyes as he knew at what Aoko was insinuating. With the unusual atmosphere within the present area it would make one think that he might have had a hand in this.

''Please, your expectations of my abilities are a tad inflated.'' He sighed as he took out a metal flask from his robe; bringing it to his lips while taking a long sip from it. Aoko for one didn't want to know _what_ was inside that flask. ''You and many others for that matter, I honestly don't know who started this misconception that I'm this almighty trickster that sends people to parallel worlds on random whims.''

This actually took Aoko by surprise, her eyes blinking curiously. ''You don't?''

Well if the old man was being honest here, it wasn't like he didn't do it all, but not in the way Aoko and most of the people in the magus community imagined.

An exasperated sigh escaped the old magician's lips as he leaned back against his floating throne. ''Trust me, there are many rules and limitations to what I can do, besides sending people to parallel worlds can be lethal if the circumstances aren't right.''

''What do you mean?'' Aoko asked with a sort of eerie concern building inside her, though she couldn't really turn away some free information about the Second Magic.

Zelretch rubbed his beard as he thought of the least disturbing but accurate way to describe this. ''In most cases when a person comes into contact with a parallel version of himself the two mirror existences tend to resonate, creating a sort of bleeding effect that makes them see and experience memories of each other's life as if they were their own. That of course is the good result.''

She knew she was going to regret it, but she asked him nonetheless. ''What's the bad one?''

''They usually blow up.'' He replied in a deadpan tone.

Aoko almost choked on her tongue when she heard this unexpected answer. ''W-what?''

''The good result is what you get when the two versions have a certain amount of common history. Imagine that their lives are almost identical until a point where it diverges into different paths.'' The old magician casually shrugged. ''The bad result occurs when the people are simply far too different, not only in how they are as a person but their history up until that point. The information exchanged between them is simply too distinct and incompatible with the others, rejecting it until their bodies eventually break down.''

He paused for a moment as he took notice of the pale look on Aoko's face. While the way he explained it wasn't very detailed, the human imagination could be like a wildfire once ignited. ''This is just one of many reasons why direct interactions with other dimensions is dangerous. Even though my magic holds the title of 'Operation of Parallel Worlds' I mostly use it as a means of observation. While I do admit I tend to go exploring from time to time, trespassing into other worlds and interacting with its denizens most of the time isn't worth the headaches that follows.''

''I see…'' Aoko muttered nervously, while her own magic did have a lot of risks in its usage should she misuse it, there were still no chances of people blowing up into bloody chunks involved.

''Anyway, what's your opinion about this?'' The old magician inquired as he stroked his beard.

''Not sure what to feel about it.'' With a shake of her head she cleared her mind and got back to the matter at hand. ''It's like my magic was utilized here… but it feels different, weaker… unstable.''

''That's about right.'' Zelretch nodded as he readjusted himself on his throne and gazed at the crater. ''Someone invoked a sort of bastardized version of your magic.''

''What?!'' Aoko instantly snapped at this, the implications involved were catastrophic if the conditions were right. ''But that's-''

''Impossible? Hardly.'' He cut her off abruptly, somewhat amused by her lack of belief. Then again Aoko hadn't seen the things he had, things that caused one's sense of normality to bend in unnatural ways. ''I've seen timelines where events that should be impossible to us but under different circumstances were possible in another, as hard to believe as this may seem, it is the truth.''

Aoko took a step back pinching the bridge of her nose, this was already getting out the hand and she had no idea how to handle it. After a minute of processing everything she realized something, the way Zelretch talked about all of this, it was as if he knew exactly what was going on. ''… You know who it was don't you?''

The man nodded as his gaze wandered until he was looking at the full moon, painful nostalgia coursing through him as he recalled the greatest battle of his youth. ''Sort of, I observed that particular timeline a while ago, real depressing if you ask me.''

That timeline was one of many possible outcomes that may befall them from the very one they were residing in.

With an almost infinite amount of possibilities out there anything was possible really.

Though among the many timelines that the old magician had seen, the 'Nier' timeline as he liked to dub it was probably among one of the worst outcomes that could happen.

The love of one single human for his only remaining family causing the end of humanity.

Which in turn led to a never ending war for the sake of those who have long vanished.

Reaching a state of constant stagnation, the world never truly ending once and for all.

All things come and go, nothing is eternal.

That timeline by all means should have ended its history long ago and yet it kept on going, never being allowed the sweet release of death it so desperately deserves.

''Then you know who to search for!'' Aoko deduced victoriously.

''Yeah, about that…'' Zelretch muttered a bit bashful, knowing the headache that will soon follow after he said his next sentence. ''We can't do that.''

''Why not?'' Aoko's blue eyes narrowed coldly at him, not that they were able to really have any effect on him, the old man had seen horrors, abominations, and that which was truly bizarre throughout his life. Events that could easily fracture the minds of sane individuals and drive them into the depths of insanity.

Wait a minute… if that really the case, did that mean he was insane himself?

Meh, matters for another time.

''I believe there's a reason for all of this.'' He began solemnly. ''You felt how wrong the traces of magic were, what caused it shouldn't have been possible. Something influenced it, something beyond us, but for whatever reason the person that got sent here was, or rather is important. Interfering with them will only hinder that.''

Aoko gritted her teeth in frustration, was the man not seeing the immediate problem involved or did he simply not care?

''How can you be so calm, how do you know that whoever got sent here won't cause some sort of mayhem or irreversible damage?''

''I don't, but at the moment it's the best course of action.'' He stated while seating himself back on his throne, his eyes solemn and cold. ''I learned through my many years through trial and error with my magic that rushing in at the first sign of trouble tends to be a recipe for disaster, we need to slowly observe from many angles and perspectives before stepping in if necessary.''

''That doesn't justify not taking action.''

His eyes slowly closed and a tired sigh escaped his lips. ''Normally I wouldn't be quite so laissez faire about this, but in this case it's best if we stay out.''

She could feel it slipping, her patience was running low. ''Why?! Why would you risk this?!''

''Because I can't see anymore.'' The old magician declared dead serious.

''What?'' The cryptic message wasn't enough to disperse Aoko's doubts, but it did manage to calm her down if only by a bit in spite of how much it further confused her.

''No, not my sight, I mean I can't see that timeline anymore. I can only see up until the point that the event which caused this fiasco took place, but once it's over, that's it.'' He rubbed his beard rigorously, not being able to recall when was the last time he got this worked up. ''Everything after that is blank, I can't see anything beyond that.''

Ever since he mastered the second magic, there were barely anything that truly got him worked up anymore, his ability to observe other timelines led to him witnessing some of the most sought for mysteries of the world.

The birth of the first hero.

The ending of the age of gods.

The creation of the magical girl anime genre.

He had seen and learned so much throughout his long life. Information that people would honestly kill for, even for just a glimpse.

Still as incredible as the things he saw were, they began losing their appeal and luster after a while. If at the beginning when he first mastered his magic there was excitement for the unknown, nowadays it was more akin to a daily chore or job for him.

Finding new interesting and exciting scenarios was honestly kind of scarce as it stood.

It wasn't surprising that the man often didn't take matters very seriously. After a while you begin to see the various routes of things, the choices that led up to it, the various bad ends on its path, and the true or good endings that would follow.

As such being denied the answer to this mystery was very annoying… but at the same time it was also very intriguing.

''That normally doesn't happen…'' he muttered like an old man dealing with annoying kids. ''It's very concerning.''

Aoko could tell from how the man was acting that this situation was pretty serious stuff, while it didn't get rid of her doubts, it made her more open to a more calm discussion. ''So what should we do then, stay out with our hands in our pockets and do nothing?''

''Of course not, for now we will simply wait and observe. Should anything concerning take place we will act, until then we will simply stay in the back seat.''

She gave a small nod, but what he suggested didn't really take care of the problem. ''I take it you won't report this to the clock tower?''

Zelretch on his part let out an annoyed growl. ''Too much hassle, last thing I want is this place to be swarmed with enforcers and executors as well as wannabe mages that think they can find some good research material from this.''

Aoko did have to agree with him on that part.

If word got out that her magic was used by someone besides her, they would stop at nothing to find the person responsible and get every bit of knowledge they possess about it out of them.

The so called Lords knew better than to go after her. Destroying an entire mountain simply from a case of having a bad day tends to do the job.

This new mysterious person was unknown, as well as what their true capabilities are. They could be as strong as her, but there's also a chance of them being quite weak. If it was the latter case, they could easily coerce and experiment upon them.

Until a proper estimation of their power is done, it would be full on hunting season for them.

Who knows how many innocent people or even entire settlements would be killed in the process once it began.

''Is this really the right way? She muttered to herself.

''If anything happens I will take responsibility, so for the time being just humor this old man.''

Her lips thinned as she contemplated this… it was a good offer… too good. ''Why are you risking this?''

''I've seen that particular timeline many times, there were many endings to it so to say, but this wasn't one of them. This is something that shouldn't have existed, an irregularity. It's very… fascinating.''

A toothy smirk formed on the old man's face.

As Aoko saw this the dots in her mind connected and she almost snapped in shock, throwing an accusing finger at the old gentleman.

''… You're finding this whole thing amusing! That's why you're not trying to stop this!''

If Zelretch felt he was caught red handed he didn't show it, he just chuckled a bit before he started explaining. ''I won't deny that isn't a factor, but the current set of events are too out of place. Any more interference will only worsen it.''

That wasn't a lie.

There had to be a reason to what caused this.

One that it wasn't their place to get involved in.

For the moment that is.

''Like I already said, we shall wait. The moment the proverbial shit begins to hit the fan, that's when we shall take action. Who knows perhaps whoever got sent here will simply choose not to do anything in this era and just live a quiet and peaceful existence.''

''I doubt it would be so simple.'' Aoko muttered as she kicked a rock in annoyance, she was certain this whole fiasco won't end well and it will come back to bite her. Yet she digressed, for the time being she would oblige the old vampire.

''Quite, but you never know.'' Zelretch hummed as he gazed at the moon. ''That's why I want to see where this is heading.''

''I'm throwing you under the buss if things get nasty.''

''I wouldn't have it any other way my dear.'' A chuckle escaped his lips as he took out his pocket watch and checked it, he was right on schedule. There are still many things to cover in order for this event to stay hidden.

It was such a peculiar set of circumstances now that he thought about it, for once he wasn't involved at all and yet he felt this weird sense of duty to see how it all turned out.

In any case he still had work to do, but he couldn't help but throw one last remark before leaving. ''By the way, how does your little student fare?''

Oh hell no!

The red haired woman simply walked away without saying as much as a goodbye.

No way she was letting this old whackjob anywhere near her precious little Shiki!

Zeltech could only laugh at the fuming Aoko, if she only knew what awaited her precious student in the future.

* * *

**Omake: Bad Ending (the following is an alternative way things could have ended if certain events played out differently)**

Rin growled as the fake priest made her help him with collecting evidence from the scene of the crater. Did he even need her help in the first place?

No!

Kirei was the damn proven church agent with dozens of accomplished missions under his belt, not her!

He could handle this even without her!

The young Tohsaka heir was 100% sure he only did it just to further piss her off.

In her own annoyed state Rin didn't even notice when she dug an object out of the earth.

Blinking in surprise Rin lifted the item and gave it a close examination. ''What is this thing?''

She scanned it from every angle but couldn't quite figure out what it was. All in all, it was a black cube with intricate glowing lines crafted on each side. ''Some kind of box?''

Curiosity getting the better of her, Rin tried to open the box.

A fatal mistake.

_Alert! Unauthorized personnel is attempting to access the Black Box!_

Kirei felt an uncharacteristic shiver run down his spine as he caught sight of Rin attempting to tinker with the foreign object. ''Rin, I don't think it's a good idea to meddle with that.''

_Warning! Any further attempt will be trigger the data theft prevention protocol!_

The fact that the box wasn't opening and Kirei was still here only further enticed the young Tohsaka to keep going. ''Shut up I know what I'm doing!''

_Emergency protocol initialized! _

''… I'm very sure you do not know what you are doing Rin!'' Kirei muttered as he shot himself towards Rin in an attempt to stop her.

Sadly he was far too late, the box had already expanded and began bursting in a white light.

_Termination of black box activated!_

The flash of light consumed both the priest and the Tohsaka heir as well as the surrounding forest. Everything was over before Rin could even realize what was going on.

All that was left was a smoking ravine.

Kirei, on the other hand did realize at the very last moment before he was vaporized why he felt suddenly terrified by seeing Rin holding onto that box.

The priest recalled that the girl was an utter disaster whenever it came to dealing with modern technology.

* * *

**Author notes:**

Ok so that omake was a thing… don't worry, it's an alternative timeline, so the Rin in this story isn't dead. Feel bad for killing her like that but the fact that Kirei also bit the dust sort of evens it out.

Anyway, as you can see this story lives, it's gonna continue so let's all say Hallelujah for that. The warm reception I got from it made me want to continue it in spite my shit update schedule, but if i keep this series with shorter chapters perhaps it will update more often then 'A fake hero'.

Also Alex-Kellar, his illustration of one of this fic's scenes really made me want to keep this going.

Check it for yourself: w ww .dev iantar m/ alex-k ella r/a rt/T he-los t-win gs-805 301 509 (just erase the spaces between each ones)

Decided to make a chapter without Shirou and 2B to sort of show that her arrival didn't go unnoticed.

So I went with Rin and Kirei, hope I wasn't too OC with kirei since his character is quite complex and difficult to fully grasp. Funny thing though, in spite of knowing that Rin hates kirei's guts and that he raised Rin for a while, we never got to see too much of shenanigans involving the two. Well it's a good thing Rin turn out into a mapo tofu enthusiast like Kirei.

Now onto the second part of the chapter.

Did I just use Zelretch outside of sending Shirou to some different verse?

Blasphemy! Blasphemy I tell you! I'm breaking fandom traditions here! Somebody stop me!

That aside, I felt I needed to specify that he had no hand in this.

Also I tried to sort of try to make him a smarter troll. A lot of people are under the impression that he just does stuff for the lolz without any sort consequences and such, but I tend to differ, while he still troll's people, he does it with a sort of class and elegance to it.

So all in all, he won't get himself involved unless shit really hits the fan, and we're talking here about the kind of shit that calls in the counter force.

Let's just hope Shirou and 2B don't fuck this up for that to happen.

Anything else...

Oh right, someone congratulated me in the reviews section for having the best Nier crossover out there.

'Eh...?' was my honest reaction. And the I checked the Nier crossover sections while laughing, saying that's there was no way that this was-

...

...

...

...

...

Holy shit it actually is.

Now i knew it was probably the best in the fsn crossovers department but i didn't imagine it the actual most popular nier crossover out there (if reviews, follows and favorites matter in that)

I have the most foreign feeling regarding it.

Now I don't much of an ego regarding how popular my series are, but damn it feels nice... and somewhat scary... now I feel like i have a title to defend.

Ok, that's enough from me, better stop this tirade before an actual competent writer reads this and decides to give it their own try.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	6. The crippled flower

It was a truly curious thing with how matters can end up turning out at times.

While it was somewhat of a rough period dealing with 2B's sudden introversion, things eventually began improving for the YoRHa android and Emiya Shirou.

In retrospect the boys choice to show 2B the outside world was probably one of the best decisions he ever made, as it helped her find the will to talk with him again. While the result wasn't instant, taking a bit of time and work on both sides part, eventually the white haired android began communicating with Shirou beyond simple guidance in repairing her pod.

That being said, the days went by as the two of them managed to somewhat bridge the distance 2B put up between them. Progress with the repairs of the YoRHa pod was also steadily being made.

In fact all repairs were already done.

All that was left was turn it on and see if it worked.

Shirou for one was feeling quite skittish about this. He had spent so much time trying to repair it with 2B constantly there to instruct him and overseeing his every step. It would be incredibly embarrassing for him if it didn't work properly now.

A nervous sigh left the boys lips as he placed the front plate of the pod back on, he did all he could. No he did even more than he alone was capable of. Now it was left up to luck. ''Okay… hope this works.''

''So do I.'' In spite of being a living picture of stoicism, 2B was feeling perhaps even more anxious than Shirou was. Before she arrived in this era her pod was nothing more then support equipment. An AI existence simply meant for tactical support and combat assistance, but now she felt like its value was priceless. Not in a monetary way, but a sentimental one as her pod was the last thing 2B had left connecting her to the old life she had.

It was truly a perplexing dilemma. On one hand there are a lot of painful memories that she would rather just erase for good, but at the same time there are also precious ones she does not want to lose no matter what.

Now that she looked back, her pod had always been there with her for better or worse.

If she was somehow rescued and given this opportunity to witness the era when humanity flourished, the least she could do is allow for her pod to do so as well.

Shirou gave 2B a small nod, signaling that he was done putting everything back in place. The YoRHa android returned the nod and started the pods remote activation sequence, hoping for the best.

The wait that followed was utterly nerve wracking. Each second that passed as she saw the load bar in her mind slowly fill up was becoming more and more unbearable, as time passed an uncertain feeling of dread began to nag at her. That at any moment she could receive an error and everything will fall apart.

When the bar was at 99% it seemed to lag, 2B swallowed a dry lump of air in trepidation. An action which Shirou had noticed making him worry even more than he already was.

The bar eventually reached 100% and the confirmation tab was open, yet 2B was not put at ease. Despite several seconds passing, the pod had yet to react.

Had they failed?

Was the pod truly gone?

… Just like everyone else she knew?

The more 2B began contemplating such depressing thoughts the more the air around the room started oozing with her melancholy. Shirou for one couldn't sit back anymore and tried to do something, but the only thing that came to his mind was kneeling next to the pod and smacking it a couple of times.

As ridiculous and flat out dumb that action was, it surprisingly wasn't useless.

The very next moment after the blows, there was a loud clicking sound from the pod, it then levitated right above where it originally stood.

It seemed to scan the room and stopped when it caught sight of its owner. Pod 042 ignored Shirou and flew towards 2B, reporting to her for duty. ''[Tactical support unit Pod 042 is now back online and awaiting orders.]''

''Wow… he's floating.'' The red haired magus muttered in complete awe as he saw the machine just hover in the air without any apparent flight support, he most certainly didn't yelp in surprise like a little girl when the box like robot initially rose up in the air.

A sense of relief washed over the female android and the corners of her lips curled up ever so slightly. ''You have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice Pod.''

It was certainly rare even for the pod to see 2B smile and display actual emotions.

''[Good morning 2B.]''

Shirou letting his curiosity get the better of him and walked next to 2B to get a better view of the pod, giving it an awkward greeting when it saw him. ''Eh, hi there.''

When the AI took notice of Shirou it began processing about what he might be and what he was doing here together with 2B. He was certainly not a member of the YoRHa unit, nor did he appear to be a member of the android resistance.

An android of the previous generations perhaps?

Or was he actually a machine?

While the vast majority of machine life forms had inhuman appearances, there have been rare cases of advanced human like machine life forms like the twins Adam and Eve. But if that were the case, this would be the first time encountering a non hostile entity from that particular line.

Now it wasn't like all machines in general were incapable of communication and peaceful machine life form Pascal and the village he led being a prime example of such an instance.

The YoRHa pod 042 was growing ever more curious about the being in front of it.

As such he began scanning Shirou to discern exactly what he was.

The end results were… inconclusive.

''[No android or machine signature detected from the entity present.]'' The pod stated as it continued to scan Shirou, but none of the data he received had any reference in his database. There was no form of metallic alloy or fabric present in the boy's body.

Was he perhaps a new generation of machine life forms with a type of synthesized flesh and bone structure?

Highly unlikely, but not outright impossible.

It wouldn't be that far fetched considering how certain machines were outright obsessed with humans. Even going so far as to mirror their appearance and behavior in their image, a twisted parallel to how the androids were created in humanity's image. ''[Requesting data of the events that followed during my offline period.]''

2B nodded in understanding, there was no way her pod could recognize Shirou as a human. 2B herself failed to do so when she first met the boy, the resemblance between human and android was scarily uncanny. ''Data is being transferred.''

The data was received and analysed.

Sadly it was not well received.

''[Report: The data and conclusion reached is unreliable.]'' the pod stated in its mechanical voice. ''[Time travel has been previously proven scientifically impossible, the current circumstances are inconclusive.]''

In all honestly 2B would have wanted to agree with her pod, but sadly it wasn't the case. ''This may sound impossible but this is the current situation we are in.''

The pod trusted 2B, she was his assigned partner, any orders given by her would be upheld. However, the current set of information was making the pod lean towards the possibility of his partner being deceived. ''[Negative. Statistics indicate a higher percentage of everything witnessed as being a machine made duplicate or illusion, similar to the one created by the machine life form Adam.]'' That remark brought back dark memories for 2B, recalling the sight of Adam keeping 9S hostage and probing him for information.''[Sensors could be hacked and modified to further reinforce the copy and make you believe that this is-]''

''I know what I saw!'' The usually stoic and serene 2B almost snapped at him, a display of emotion she rarely showcased. The YoRHa android took a moment and calmed herself, acting irrational would not help in this situation. ''… I am well aware of how ridiculous and impossible this situation sounds, but somehow it's the cold and real truth.''

The AI wanted to further argue and bring up more points to the reality of this situation but chose to refrain itself. The look on 2B's face and the parameters of her mental harmonics indicated to him that his partner was not in the best state of mind to argue with at the moment.

For now the pod chose to further investigate its surroundings.

Though... the pod was unable to calculate what course of action should be taken if 2B's claims proved to be true.

''[… Understood.]'' the pod stated simply. ''[Awaiting further instructions.]

2B took a deep breath to calm the negative emotions she was currently experiencing. Perhaps on a certain level she also was in denial about everything, hence why it felt so difficult to talk about it in the first place.

A tired sigh escaped her lips as she focused back on the important matters at hand. ''Good, I also sent you a report of the damage my body had suffered. My self-repair systems have been completely unresponsive since I awoke in this era, what happened?''

The pod analysed the data, projecting a miniature hologram of 2B as it began explaining. ''[The energy surge appears to have caused the nanomachines in your body to go offline. They still appear to be in a satisfactory functioning state but will require reprogramming to make them active again.]''

2B gave a firm nod as she assessed the situation, thankfully nothing was lost so it can still be salvaged. Speaking of which,''How long will it take before I will be fully functional again?''

The hologram of 2B had changed slightly. Certain areas it displayed were now pulsating in different shades of red. The most noticeable one was her severed leg which was marked in a deep crimson.

''[The damage on the upper body area is mostly superficial and will require very little repair, while the lower area, particularly the severed leg is in very critical condition which will require extensive care.]''

Nothing that 2B didn't already know. The only thing she wasn't aware of was if the leg was salvageable at all. Fortunately, it seemed that it could still be used. ''How long will it take?''

There was a brief pause as the pod estimated the accumulated damage. ''[Upper area estimated at six hours of maintenance. The leg will take between three to six weeks.]''

While the first part was acceptable she didn't like at all the sound of the second part. ''That long?''

''[Affirmative. Several components in the leg have been badly damaged and need individual repair. Many may require replacement if the damage is too great.]''

She should be glad that her leg could even be repaired, yet she didn't feel any relief. 2B was tired of being a burden to Shirou. ''… I see.''

Shirou on the other hand was in a far better mood than the beautiful female android. Learning that she could be fully repaired took an immense weight off the boys shoulders. When he noticed the disappointed look on 2B's face he patted her softly on the shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. ''Don't let it get you down 2B, it might take a while but at least it can still be done, it would have been really bad if the leg couldn't be saved.''

''... That is a fair point.'' 2B muttered, still unsure of how to feel about this.

Shirou had then turned his attention to the floating box like machine. "Well, I hope you can put 2B back on her feet.''

The pod did not answer, it silently kept assessing the situation, its faceless stare making Shirou feel a little bit uncomfortable. ''... Is there something on my face?''

The answer it gave in return was not directed at Shirou but instead at 2B. ''[This unit is lacking the data regarding interaction with human beings. Requesting guidance.]''

That was something 2B herself was having a difficult time understanding given her previous interactions with Shirou.

If commander White saw how she talked and acted with Shirou without displaying the proper respect and submission humans deserve she would without a doubt reprimand her.

Interacting with Shirou felt disturbingly… normal.

Not the thing you would expect from one of your creators.

2B didn't dislike it though, it simply required some time to get used to it.

As such, there wasn't really any sort of protocol required here.

''... Treat him as you would treat me Pod.'' the YoRHa android answered simply, the tone of her voice, making it sound more like an advice rather than an order. ''That is of course if that is fine with you Shirou?''

''I'm all for it.'' the boy answered awkwardly, the present situation further confusing him.

''[... Understood.]''

Shirou didn't know where this discussion was going so he decided to guide it a little. ''In any case it's a pleasure to meet you mister Pod.''

''[This unit lacks an assigned gender or age, as such there is no reason to address this unit with the title 'mister'.]''

''But you sound like an old man…''

''[Does the sound of one's voice have any relevance in one's gender?]''

''... N-Not really…''

2B could only stare at the interactions between her pod and Shirou, and yet her mind was busy with other matters.

She couldn't help but ruminate on all of the struggles and problems that were occurring from something so minor and common like getting herself repaired.

It was strange for her to suddenly have to care for her body like this, the idea being quite foreign to her. Up until now she didn't have to care if her body got wrecked or completely vaporized since there were always spares back at the home base.

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have wasted any time to consider self-destructing if it would have brought success to her mission. As long as her data existed within the mainframe she would always rise again to fight another day.

_Always..._

Now that luxury was gone.

If her current body were to be destroyed now, it will be the end.

No more chances for a redo.

That foreboding thought lingered in the back of her mind.

She didn't like it all.

As such she returned her attention back to her pod.

A small cough got both the boy and the AI's attention. ''In that case, let's get rid of the minor problems first, the leg can wait, I want to be able to properly utilize my upper half while the leg is undergoing repairs. Pod your orders are to immediately start repairs on my upper half.''

''[Understood.]''

Before the pod could get down to work it noticed that Shirou had raised a hand towards it. ''Um, if you need any help with the repairs I would be glad to lend a hand.''

''[… Additional help may prove beneficial for the task. Conclusion: Help will be appreciated.]''

''Oh, and my name is Emiya Shirou.''

* * *

''[Maintenance complete.]

It had been about six hours since the maintenance began and Shirou was exhausted. While overall he didn't do all that much, keeping track of everything that the pod did was a challenge in itself. It was like seeing one of those futuristic sci-fi movies with how the pod would randomly pop out different repair instruments and use them with fast millimeter precision.

The red haired boy almost jumped backwards when the cube like AI began shooting freaking lasers to attach back certain parts together.

Shirou was no technology expert but damn did future technology look cool.

The boy took a deep breath and wiped away the layer of sweat on his forehead, throwing a small glance over at the female android. ''How is it 2B? Can you control your body properly now?''

The white haired girl took a moment to verify before she answered.

She started by bending her neck left and right then back and forth. There didn't seem to be any issues so she moved to her hands, opening and closing them a couple of times, bending each individual finger without any hindrance.

Looking around she saw a pipe on the floor, one of the many pieces of junk Shirou had lying around in his shed. She picked it up and played with it in her right hand for a few moments.

A crunch like sound was soon heard and 2B placed the pipe back down, said pipe was now crushed in the middle, the imprint of a small delicate hand etched tightly on it.

Shirou inwardly gulped when he saw 2B verifying her grip strength.

2B then squirmed around in the wheelchair left and right, the majority of her lower body also appearing to be responding quite nicely.

A soft breath of relief escaped her lips. ''… Yes, my upper half is functioning properly.'' She raised her hands and stared at them for a few moments. ''It's certainly pleasant to be in control once again.''

This only brought a smile on the boys face. ''That's good to hear.''

She briefly nodded as her pod flew in front of her to further elaborate. ''[The estimated maintenance time was reduced due to the previously made repair attempts, while not proper or efficient they did provide a reduction in repair time.]''

This made 2B glance over at the once severed leg that was now back where it belonged. ''That explains why you got the chance to reattach my leg.''

''[The action was only a formality, motor functions are still damaged. Prolonged maintenance is still required.]'' Pod 042 further explained ensuring that it did not create any misunderstandings and cause 2B to recklessly try and utilize her leg. ''[Do you wish to start the process?]''

In the end the pod didn't have anything better to do. In its pure logic based opinion the quicker her repairs were done, the faster they could focus on their next course of action regarding this era.

His partner on the other hand was of a different opinion. ''No, that's enough for today Pod, we can start repairs on my leg tomorrow.''

As much as she wanted out of the wheelchair, there was no need to rush, especially since Shirou appeared so tired from the previous repair session.

''[Understood.]''

The boy let out a tired sigh and crashed atop a nearby chair, feeling like a doctor that just got out of a long day in the operation's room. ''Phew, that sure was something else.''

The display shown by the young Emiya only further intrigued 2B about humans.

Physical exhaustion was a foreign concept to 2B. For her and others like her they lacked such a condition.

No matter how much they go on functioning or fighting they never experienced exhaustion.

The closest thing they had to it was overheating, which was a rare occurrence considering how cutting edge androids are.

Rare, but not impossible. In the databanks there have been cases among YoRHa androids that kept fighting enemies continuously without a moment to spare causing their systems to temporarily shut down due to overuse.

All of that aside, while it was true that androids lacked physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion was another case entirely.

The latter which 2B was all too familiar with. ''Apologies Shirou, trying to keep up with Pod 042's speed must have been challenging.''

He waved a hand and chuckled briefly while trying to hide his exhaustion. ''I'm fine, just need to catch my breath.''

2B nodded and didn't press on the subject anymore.

This in turn led to an awkward five minutes of silence between them. The two of them could hardly come up with a subject to talk about outside of repairs.

Now this wasn't like before when 2B was actively avoiding conversation of any kind, she simply was not a very socially adapted android. Her existence primarily revolving around battle, not making small talk.

Unfortunately Shirou wasn't any better, and while he wasn't as socially inept as 2B. He typically had a harder time relating to other people in general. Though fully capable of interacting and communicating without any problem to others, he couldn't quite connect to others the same way other people did.

These factors made any casual interaction between Shirou and 2B all the more difficult.

Yet that didn't stop Shirou from trying.

After drawing 2B attention with a cough in his hand, Shirou tried to suggest something.

''So… do you want to go for a walk?'' His voice came out a bit sheepishly, not aware why though, he was asking her to go for a walk and nothing more.

That took 2B by surprise and made her ponder for a bit.

She recalled that beautiful scenery Shirou shown her that one time he took her out. The foreign yet breathtaking lost world she was in.

''I wouldn't want to impose.'' She answered politely, though if she were honest with herself she did want to go, the boy did not have the slightest clue how much she longed to see it once more… and yet was hesitant. ''You already have done so much for me.''

This did not bother Shirou at all and immediately offered her a kind smile. ''It's no big deal, we both can use some fresh after so many hours here.''

There it was again, that goofy innocent smile. She was conflicted whenever she saw it… There were times when instead of Shirou she saw 9S when he would smile like that. ''… Then I will be in your care.''

The smile on Shirous face grew as he heard that and the previously exhausted boy seemed like he suddenly regained all of his energy with how he jumped up from his seat and was already preparing the wheelchair for their road trip.

There was a sudden pause in Shirou's action as he noticed with the corner of his eye the pod that was staring at him. ''What about him?''

2B took a moment and thought about it.

Normally her pods duty was to follow her wherever she goes unless ordered otherwise. However...

''... I believe it's best if he stays behind for now.'' 2B concluded, taking into consideration that her unit would draw a lot of attention from passing humans. Unlike a YoRHa android, his design was far less conspicuous than hers. ''Pod remain here on standby, stay hidden until Shirou and I return.''

''[Affirmative.]'' The AI proceeded to quite literally hide himself among the pile of scrap parts Shirou collected from the crash site.

The young magus wondered if sitting like that wasn't uncomfortable. While the pod was very well camouflaged between all of those junk parts it didn't change the fact that it didn't look very cozy.

Huh…

Now that Shirou thought about it, 2B had also been laying around in the shed for months now…

That was something he had to resolve.

''Is everything alright?'' Shirou broke out of his thought process when he heard 2B's soft voice, making him realize he had been busy staring at the pod for a while.

The boy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. ''Yeah… Just thought that your pod is different from you."

This remark made the android somewhat curious. "In what regard?"

"He seems… How should I put it, much more robotic than you are with how he talks and also tends to calculate his decisions."

The fact that it looks like some metal box with small arms attached to the side didn't help much either.

"It is how the pods were designed. While we both are AI based existence, there are some major differences between us. As androids advanced they became able to replicate even human emotion, a feat with both pros and _cons._'' Shirou didn't like how 2B punctuated that last part when she said cons. ''Some of which had caused inconsistencies in their judgement, taking illogical decisions upon acting on those said emotions. The pods on the other hand were designed to function without being hindered by emotions, to act as a perfect neutral support for their assigned android.''

Shirou could only give a small nod but he didn't really understand what 2B was going on about. It almost sounded like she was condemning her kind for being able to experience emotions like humans did.

He didn't know how to respond to this.

All he could do was silently push the wheelchair and take 2B out for the walk he promised. Shirou found it rather curious on how fast time seemed to pass when the two of them were out together like this.

* * *

He only meant for it to be short walk taking up an hour tops, but the way he would see 2B stare in wonder at the things she saw made him want to show her more of what the city had to offer.

How her gaze would drift off and linger for minutes on end on simple things he never gave that much importance to. Things such as trees, flowers, buildings, streets, or just staring up at the deep blue sky.

It was early afternoon when they left and now it was dark outside. The boys concern however was if 2B really liked the walk as much as he thought she did.

''Did you enjoy it?'' Shirou asked as they entered his home courtyard.

"It was a pleasant trip, yes." 2B's unchanging expression did not show it, but deep down she truly did enjoy the walk, secretly wishing it could have lasted a bit longer.

Shirou wasn't entirely convinced but he decided to roll with it. Next time he will think of a better place to take her.

2B tilted her head ever so slightly went she noticed that they were not going on the same route they originally left on. ''Is the storage not in the other direction?''

Shirou gave a brief nod but did not stop from pushing the wheelchair. ''It is, but I thought of hanging around in the house for a bit.''

That remark only further confused 2B. ''For what purpose?''

Shirou felt a sweat drop run down his forehead, did he really need to explain the concept of hanging around?

''You know just sit around and relax.''

The YoRHa android failed to see the point, but she decided to see what Shirou had planned. ''… Very well.'' ''It's not much but I hope you like it.''

The living room was quite spacious and was connected with the kitchen. A fairly large yet low wooden table was placed in the middle of the room with pillows positioned around it. Around the room were several of the sliding doors that 2B noticed at the entrance. In one of the corners a TV was placed facing the table.

This was the first time 2B explored a location of such design. It was a simple set up, yet it felt oddly welcoming.

She extended her hand and ran it over the cream colored wall, feeling the foreign texture, unsure of what was the best way to describe it. ''It's very… colorful…''

''What do you mean by that?''

''… My room and our home base in general lacked such bright colors, they were simply black and white with the occasional grey metallic parts.''

The floor was intriguing. It seemed to be made out of some type of cut and polished planks of wood. While not the best in terms of durability it did have a certain aesthetic charm to it.

''Is that so…?''

The boy honestly had no idea how he was supposed to entertain a girl like 2B. ''Well, here take this, watch some TV while I fix something for us.''

2B took a long pause to stare at the device Shirou just handed to her before he went to the kitchen. She was anything but impressed at what she was holding.. ''... Such a primitive device.''

It didn't take much to realize how it worked, and how to utilize it, the marks on each button were easy to understand and figure out in what each one was supposed to do. As she flipped through the channels she couldn't help but question what she was seeing.

She didn't understand the reason behind why a group of teenage humans dressed in colorful costumes, then striking bizarre poses, and then followed up by a big explosion which took place right behind them. The explosions for some reason not affecting the teenagers in spite of being right in front of it.

Or why a man in orange clothes was screaming on top of his lungs and his hair was turning blond.

Or why there was a girl although less endowed looked eerily similar to her piloting a giant blue robot.

Those weird ones aside there quite a number of different channels she got through that she found odd, yet intriguing.

A channel that taught one how to prepare food.

One that seemed to advertise the latest human inventions.

Another that was centered around human sports.

In all honesty each had their own appeal which made it hard for the curious android to pick one.

On Shirou's side, it was certainly interesting for him to see 2B watching TV, the awe like expression she had on her face was quite amusing, it was like she was a small child.

Looking back Shirou couldn't help but let a smile spread across his face. A couple of months ago he wouldn't have imagined things would turn out like this. When he found 2B broken in that crater his main concern was to figure out a way to save her, in spite of knowing that there was a very big chance it was beyond whatever he could do.

For some reason though, Shirou couldn't help but shake the feeling that he had forgotten something important. Something he really should be remembering.

The sudden slamming of the door broke the boy out of his thought process.

''Shirou, I'm back!''

Like an unstoppable force of nature, Fujimura Taiga stormed into the room.

''Shit…'' the boy silently swore as a grim realization hit him.

How did he possibly forget that Taiga was returning home today?

When she stepped in the dining area Taiga noticed that there was someone else in the room besides Shirou here. ''Who is…?''

Words got cut off when her brown eyes landed on 2B, the usually loud and vocal woman going eerily silent.

If her reaction was a red flag, Shirou was most certainly seeing it. ''U-uh, Fuji-nee I know this looks fishy, but please don't make a sce-''

The boy didn't get to finish his sentence as his older sister figure quickly grabbed him firmly by the shoulders.

Now for all of the people who knew what kind of person Fujimura Taiga is and how quick she was to draw the wrong conclusions, the most obvious reaction on her part in this particular scenario would be to deduce that Shirou brought this girl over and he was planning something indecent.

That would have been the case normally.

In this very particular case however things were different as Taiga noticed one crucial thing about the girl that was in Shirou's house.

She was in a wheelchair.

Not being able to draw any less questionable conclusions, Taiga went for the most serious one that popped in her mind.

''Shirou!'' The tiger like lady roared as she started shaking her little brother figure back and forth, utter panic present on her face. ''What did you do?!''

Perhaps it was better that Shirou couldn't answer from all the shaking because he had no clue what to say as it is.

Taiga ignored what she thought was silence on his part and went on. ''Did you hit this girl with a car and cripple her?! Wait… you don't have a car... Did you steal a car and hit this girl with it!?''

…

..._What_?

As ridiculous as that statement was, it wasn't exactly impossible when you factor in that Taiga grew up among yakuza. No doubt she saw some of the more shady stuff those guys did over the years. Thinking on it, it's not that surprising that Taiga would jump to such a conclusion when you consider her family's business.

Or maybe she was just channeling her own stupid stunts in this case. Like that one time she took her grandfather's motorcycle for a ride without asking and drove it into the nearby river bank.

It was the first time Shirou saw a yakuza boss cry like that.

No one could blame him though, that bike he owned was a classic.

That being said though, he couldn't really explain anything given how Taiga was currently manhandling him. ''I-I-I c-can't answer like this if you keep shaking me!''

Taiga blinked a couple of times before letting go, he was making a valid point. ''Okay, now tell me what's going on!''

The boy faked like he busy rearranging his wrinkled shirt just to buy an extra couple of seconds. He spent so much time trying to repair 2B and figure out what to do with her, but he never took a second to come up with a believable cover story in case they were caught.

Now that Shirou thought about it, the fact that they weren't caught up until now was a miracle in itself considering how much Taiga liked snooping around the house.

A small strained smile was present on the boy's face, trying his best not to seem too suspicious. ''Well… it's kind of a long story…''

The woman flashed him a toothy smile in response, one that set off danger signals in the young Emiya's mind.. ''Which I have more than enough time for! So keep stalling and answer me!''

''Fine…'' Shirou muttered half panicked, attempting to run his mouth as long as he could so he could figure out a story. ''First, let's try to get the big worry out of the way, she isn't like that because of me. When I met her, she was already injured. If anything I've been helping her since she is in such a state. ''

Shirou could never really lie all that well to Taiga.

Not that Shirou never tried mind you, but the woman could typically sniff him out whenever he was lying to her.

It didn't help that Shirou did not like lying on principle and naturally sucked at it either.

That being said, while he can't trick her with full on lies. He could instead try to twist the truth a little.

Giving her half truths so to say, while still technically considered lying, usually did work.

Taiga narrowed her eyes and drifted them over to 2B. ''Is what Shirou saying true? He's been helping you?''

2B was having a hard time processing what she was experiencing at the moment.

It was the first time she had come into contact with another human being besides Shirou, but also the first time meeting a female.

The woman in front of her was certainly… not what she expected. Shirou did offhandedly mention her a couple of times, nothing concrete but she was certainly different from the initial image she had formulated in her mind about her and women in general.

Was it normal that she was getting a rather beastly feeling from her?

2B blinked a couple of times underneath her visor, and realized that the woman in front of her was waiting for her reply, suddenly feeling rather skittish. ''… Yes, he's been a very reliable person even though he had no reason to help me.''

''Yep, that's totally Shirou.'' Taiga grinned in approval, she really raised him well. Her head suddenly snapped back up as she realized she was getting side tracked. ''Wait! Back down a bit, how did you two even meet and why is she here Shirou?''

_Shit._

''A-Actually…'' The boy began and swallowed dry, at this stage Shirou just had to face the music and hope he could just bullshit his way out of this. ''… K-Kiritsugu apparently was an acquaintance of hers and she came to Japan looking for his help. Unfortunately, we both know what happened…''

''Wait seriously…?'' Taiga blinked in surprise and was unsure what to think. While it seemed a bit far-fetched, she knew for a fact that Shirou adored and respected his late father. He wouldn't just use his name for something shady for no good reason.

When she factored in how much Kiritsugu used to travel abroad, she for one had no idea what kind of connections and acquaintances the man had overseas. Truth be told she really didn't have much knowledge of what kind of life Emiya Kiritsugu had lived before he settled down in Fuyuki with Shirou eight years ago.

For all she knew Kiritsugu could have had an estranged daughter from a former marriage somewhere abroad that would one day come here and meet Shirou.

Nah, that was ridiculous.

Now that she took a better look at the girl in the wheelchair, she clearly wasn't from around here. Her weird gothic looking clothes aside, her features didn't seem of Asian descent.

Whatever the case may be, even if what Shirou said is true, sadly the circumstances were not so bright. ''Look miss, I don't know what you thought but coming all this way probably wasn't the best idea. I'm sure back home, your family and friends are worried for you and-''

''No.'' 2B cut her off, the female android's voice was flat and without emotion.

''Huh?'' the response from her confused Taiga.

2B's hands tightened around the wheelchair's armrests, her fingers digging into the leather covering them. There was no visible change on her face, but the tone of her voice had a crushing weight to it. ''I have no home… no family nor any friends left… not anymore.''

There was no lie.

All of what she said were facts.

Cold and painful facts.

The bunker that was sort of like her home, and the other YoRHa androids that could be considered her friends or family were forever beyond her reach.

Taiga was not aware of the details of what truly happened to the girl in front of her. However from what she was told and what she saw, it was enough for her to draw some conclusions of her own.

A girl in a wheelchair, dressed from head to toe in black, the melancholic air around her, the blank look on her face… and the things she said.

Whatever happened to her that left her in the state she was in… it also left her completely alone.

Taiga wanted to slap herself for being so stupid, unintentionally bringing up painful memories for the beautiful foreigner in front of her. ``I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-''

2B waved her head, though it was mostly for show. Taiga had indeed made her old wounds ache as much as she told herself otherwise. ''It's okay… I'm… I'm trying to come to terms with it.''

She was _trying_… that was all 2B could do.

It wasn't easy by any means.

Whatever Taiga had to say soon died in her mouth. She was treading on thin ice and really didn't want to set off anymore bad memories for the poor crippled girl.

The way the Tiger of Fuyuki mellowed down wasn't missed by Shirou and he saw a golden opportunity. He had to do it eventually, and it seemed like now was the best time to go for it.

''Look Fuji-nee… I know it's a lot to ask, but I want to let her move in here.'' The boy slowly began, trying his best to keep a calm and firm demeanour. ''She needs a place to stay and someone to help her out.''

''Huh?!'' Taiga knew Shirou was a kind and rather gullible kid, but this was crossing the line. ''Are you even hearing what you're asking Shirou?''

The involuntary flinch from Shirou did not help him in making his case.

Taiga pointed her hand at the girl in the wheelchair, trying to get her point across to her ward. ''Forget about letting you share a roof with a girl! Just look at her, she clearly needs professional help, not some kid who doesn't know the first thing about taking care of an invalid person.''

She knew Shirou liked helping people.

However, this wasn't something that any random kid can help out with. Taiga might not be the best role model as a legal guardian but even she had some common sense damn it!.

''We talked about it.'' Shirou went on. ''She recently went through treatment, but she needs someone to help her with her rehabilitation, it's not anything complicated, just someone to offer her support while she recovers.''

Which in context wasn't exactly a lie. 2B did go through repairs and still needs time before her lower half will work properly again.

''Not complicated my ass!'' Taiga brought her foot down. ''What do you know about taking care of someone?!''

Shirou couldn't really retort to that, he didn't have medical knowledge or any other kind of qualification that would make him able to take care of a recovering invalid. In spite of being usually very ridiculous and childish most of the time, Taiga was making a rock solid argument.

Perhaps it was out of panic or maybe sheer stupidity that he threw in a small retort regarding this. ''… Well I do take care of you more than you take care of me.''

''...'' Taiga did not bother to verbally rebuke Shirou, she simply applied an iron claw to the boy's head with her hand and let him squirm around in the air.

As the boy was learning his lesson, Taiga's eyes drifted back to the clearly baffled girl in the room. With a sigh, she let go of Shirou and shifted her focus to their mysterious guest, ''What about you, what's your stance in all of this?''

There was a heavy silence as 2B contemplated about it.

Yet, it did not take her long to find her answer.

''… If my presence here will be a hindrance, I will leave.''

She didn't want to leave.

Alone in this foreign era, with no one she knew, or anything as she was accustomed to. She was an outsider, as it stood she had nowhere to go, or any sort of objective to achieve.

Yet, 2B felt she had no right or desire to cause any further trouble for Shirou, not after how much he struggled all this time to help her. She had no idea how she could ever repay him for all he did for her, the last thing she wanted was to be a burden to him.

A tired resigned sigh escaped 2B's lips as she tried to keep her indifferent mask from crumbling.

''You have done much for me already Shirou.'' She explained softly, her hands balling into fists. ''So much that words alone won't be enough to thank you. I do not wish to cause any sort of further inconvenience to you.''

Unfortunately this didn't sit well with Shirou, causing him to go into a small fit of panic. ''Wait, you can't just leave like this!''

''Glad that you understand.'' Taiga nodded with an agreeing smirk, but it quickly faded away as she took in the depressing air in the room. It wasn't like she was opposed to the idea of helping this girl, but the method they suggested just seemed too ridiculous even by her standards. Which honestly isn't saying a lot. Still with an exasperated sigh, Taiga decided to humor them just for a bit, all her attention focused on the mysterious girl. ''But for real now, even if you knew and trusted Kiritsugu, would you really let yourself be under the care of barely out middle school kid?''

''…Perhaps you are right.'' There was no reason to deny what Taiga had previously said, she found solid logic in her argument, from the beginning Shirou didn't seem to know what he was doing while repairing her. He is but a child after all, even after her repairs are done she can't tell how he will be able to help her figure out what she is supposed to do now. ''There might be more qualified people out there that could help me out more than Shirou is capable of.''

She was in an era in which humanity is alive and flourishing.

There were many humans out there.

Many of them with knowledge that might just bring answers to the questions that ate away at her very core.

Yes, going away would be most beneficial in the long run rather than staying stationed in one area.

Logically it was the correct choice…

And yet…

''However… I… I feel like I can put my trust in Shirou. I haven't known him for a very long time, but I can tell that he is a good person.'' 2B came clean and told Taiga what she personally felt, struggling to resist the urge to bite down on her lower lip. ''So, in spite of knowing what a difficult request it is, I'm asking that you take it into consideration.''

This went against her better judgement.

Leaving would have been for the best… and it scared her.

Taiga just stared blankly at the girl, she clearly was missing a lot of context here but for now it wasn't her main concern.

There was a lot of stuff wrong here that she didn't know how to handle. While she knew that dealing with kids and their problems will be a daily thing she would face once she becomes a teacher, but this was REALLY pushing it.

Shirou was a responsible kid, WAY too responsible for his age in her opinion but that wasn't enough to garner him the right to take care of a invalid person.

If it were any other case, and if it were a regular healthy hussy trying to seduce her little brother. She would simply kick her out the door with a smile on her face, no questions asked, maybe beat Shirou a little just to be sure he didn't get any stupid ideas.

If it were only that simple.

When she looked at this girl, it was the same feeling as looking at a small puppy in a cardboard box sitting put in the rain, begging you with its teary eyes to take it home.

What was she supposed to do?

At this point, Taiga just thought 'screw it'.

''God dammit, I would feel like a total bitch to kick out a girl in a wheelchair.'' Strained growls were heard as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling the strong need to have a stiff drink at the moment. ''Fine… for the time being she can stay here, after she gets better we will decide what to do next.''

If the way Shirou almost slipped and fell down was any indication, he was completely shocked by Taiga's reluctant acceptance. ''Y-You really mean it Fuji-nee?''

''At this point I don't have much of a choice...'' Taiga sighed tiredly, being an adult sure was tough, she was missing her highschool days already when she hunted for panty thieves and meeting foreigners like that goliath red haired Macedon and his scrawny nerdy British friend. The adventures of her youth aside, she still had to get her point across. ''But let's make something clear mister, the moment I catch anything fishy going on I'm taking away your kitchen!''

Now that threat was one that made Shirou's blood run cold and break out in cold sweat. ''Y-You... you wouldn't dare!''

Taiga instantly cut the distance between them and smashed her forehead against Shirou's, a feral smile spreading across her face as she did so. ''Wanna try me big boy?''

Shirou knew that smile, last time she had that smile and someone messed with her they ended up in the hospital with broken bones. There was not much the boy could do but give a weak nod. ''No ma'am…''

''Good!'' She happily chirped and backed away.

With that out of the way, Taiga realized that she had forgotten to do something important ever since she first stepped in the room.

''… Okay miss, I know it's a bit late but I think some presentations are in order. I'm Fujimura Taiga, Shirou's legal guardian.''

It was quite rude of her to keep talking to her and not even take a moment to present herself after all. Though once her feral mode kicks in, proper manners are her least of her concerns.

''…''

Taiga tilted her head confused as the girl in front of her was just staring blankly at the hand she extended. ''Is something wrong?''

''No… it's just…'' 2B knew what she was supposed to do, but she was hesitant. It was obvious that Shirou did not tell his sister figure about her, clearly keeping everything that happened classified.

It wasn't hard to realize that Shirou did not want for Taiga to find out that she was an android, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through all of that trouble in coming up with a cover story.

That she was able to deduce quite easily.

What did get her attention though was how Shirou was currently gesturing behind Taiga. His attempt of sign language did not help, but 2B increased her hearing capacity and managed to discern what Shirou was silently muttering.

'_Don't tell her your name!'_

Confusion was what she felt at first, but it quickly began to make sense in her mind. Her name wasn't exactly a normal one by human standards. In the first place, it wasn't even a name, just a short version of her designation code.

Shirou might have understood that and didn't have any issues with using it, but others might find it peculiar if not suspicious.

Taiga turned her head and caught sight of Shirou's awkward pose. ''What are you doing Shirou?''

The boy was caught like a deer in the headlights, in the spur of the moment he started hitting the air. ''N-nothing just trying to get rid of a fly.''

''So where were we?'' a hum echoed as Taiga remembered what she was doing. ''Oh yeah, names!''

Her name…

2B didn't understand why she felt that this question held a great weight to it.

''My name is…'' 2B began, her mind drawing a blank at this. It wasn't a difficult task to decide on a name, but having to choose from such a vast selection of options was making it rather hard to decide on which one to pick.

Many might not realize it but names hold a value to them. She had met many androids and machine lifeforms that took on their own names, and said name wasn't without a reason behind it.

The first machine lifeform to perfectly imitate the human form, he took on the name 'Adam'.

The one born from within Adams own ribcage. He took the name of 'Eve'.

There was a machine obsessed with obtaining beauty, 'Beauvoir'.

The machine that sought out a peaceful existence and debate matters of philosophy, 'Pascal'.

And many other examples of a similar nature appeared in her mind.

It was a simple thing in nature, yet names held an importance to them.

Then again there were odd cases like that one android from the resistance camp that for reasons she can't begin to fathom took on the name 'Jackass'.

2B took in a deep breath, trying to think of a name.

No matter his much she struggled none would form in her mind.

All except for the one of her lost partner.

''Nines…'' the mutter was slow and strained, as if saying each letter of that name hurt her. She swallowed dry, her mind being led by instinct instead of logic. ''…Iris Nines.''

It was a simple name.

Nothing long or complicated.

Many could perhaps even consider it a beautiful name.

It was a painful name.

One she instantly regretted picking.

Taiga noticed her difficulty in presenting herself yet she didn't question it. She simply brushed it of that the girl was shy and socially awkward.

In such cases the best she could do was give her a bright friendly smile as she offered her a handshake. ''Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Iris.''

The android stared at the extended hand for a few seconds before finally returning the gesture. ''Likewise.''

Shirou winced as he saw Taiga's eye twitch when she shook 2B's hand. His own hand throbbing as he recalled the first time their hands touched. Luckily it didn't seem to be on the same scale with Taiga. The woman only shaking her hand once she was free, a strained smile present on her face. ''O-Oh, that's quite a grip you have.''

2B did not respond immediately, she took a few seconds to stare at her hand, a feeling disgust briefly rushing through her body.''… Sorry.''

Taiga did not give any indication of being angry and annoyed, she only laughed it off. ''Nah, I'm a pretty sturdy girl.''

Shirou wasn't sure what was going on anymore but it seemed like the danger had passed and they managed to somehow get 2B a pass in the house without having to hide her from Taiga.

God knows with her nosy nature she would have found 2B at some point, most likely when his guard was down, then all hell would break loose.

In hindsight with how things have unfolded within the last hour, it all went pretty smoothly.

No matter what scenario he thought about how he could convince Taiga to let some unknown person move in with him, none of them succeeded.

The rather loud reception that took place aside, it wasn't too bad all things considered.

He also dodged a bullet since 2B had her lower half covered by a blanket. While the upper part of her clothes was somewhat in the safe zone, her lower half would have no doubt made Taiga draw some really nasty ideas.

Maybe he was lucky for a change.

''So why don't you two tell me how you first met?''

_Shit._

* * *

''Well it's pretty late so I'll call it a night.'' The tiger of Fuyuki laughed as she was putting on her jacket, Shirou and 2B accompanying her to the entrance to see her off. Just as she was about to step out, she turned around and threw Shirou one last threatening glare. ''Make sure you don't do anything inappropriate Shirou.''

Shirou was done.

After all the psycological torture he had to endure in the form of Taiga running her mouth with ridiculous questions that he had to invent answers on the spot for, his mind was done.

The young Emiya fought valiantly and tried to minimize the danger by throwing as much food as he was physically capable of cooking over at Taiga's plate, but the hunger of the Fujimura heiress was not an enemy to be taken lightly.

Strangely for Taiga, for some reason Shirou was sporting the same vacant stare Kiritsugu used to have. ''... Do I look like the kind of scum that would take advantage of someone in a wheelchair?''

Even if he hypothetically tried anything he was pretty sure 2B could easily snap his bones in two if the way she casually crushed that steel pipe earlier was any indication.

''Nope, just like reminding you. If you were, I would have castrated you a long time ago.''

A shiver ran down his spine and he felt an involuntary need to shield his still developing manhood.

God dammit! Just because he's a fifteen year old boy going through puberty doesn't mean he can't keep it in his pants.

''Well then goodnight kids! I'll see you tomorrow!"

With a click the door closed and the woman was finally gone.

Shirou didn't budge. He did not move an inch until he was certain she was off the property. Knowing her she could always return for whatever random reason.

It was only when Shirou heard the rumbling of a scooter that he knew the danger had finally passed.

A relieved sigh escaped the boys lips as he dropped down on his rear. His back resting softly on the cold wall.

''Finally… I thought she wouldn't ever leave.''

Taiga was always demanding food but he never spoiled her too much otherwise once her switch flipped she will eat for a very long time.

That being said his fridge was looking quite lonely right now. He will have to restock tomorrow. While he did enjoy feeding Taiga, this time he feels rather bummed as he was actually looking forward to having 2B try out his food.

The boy could only offer his mechanical guest a strained smile. ''Sorry about Fuji-nee, she tends to overreact at most things.''

''She certainly was… unique.'' 2B muttered, not quite sure of how or what was the right way to describe the woman she recently met.

Well that was one way of putting things, as it stood the only person she had as a comparison was Shirou.

This made 2B recall something that had been bothering her for the past hour. ''By the way Shirou, why did you stop me from telling her my real name?''

The boy rubbed the back of his head, an old habit Shirou developed whenever he was uncomfortable. ''… It's not that I don't trust her, I just don't want to involve her in this mess. ''

''… I can see that and yet…`` she trailed off, not sure herself of how to word what she wanted to say.

''What?''

''I find it very odd to try and act like I'm a human.'' she admitted, unsure of what to even think anymore. The whole event with meeting Fujimura Taiga, making up a cover story on the spot with Shirou… trying to pass off as a human… it was all so vexing. ''I'm not sure if I can act human…''

What does it truly mean to be human?

That was something 2B and many others like her often questioned.

Just what was truly the one thing that separated and made them different on a fundamental level.

Was it simply a matter of creation or was it something on a much deeper spiritual level?

In spite of meeting actual humans like Shirou and Taiga it didn't help 2B discern things any better. The opposite in fact, it only served to confuse her further.

To Shirou however, all of this meant nothing.

''Honestly you're not that different from one.'' The boy replied casually as he got up and started pushing 2B back in the living room.

''… A-Are you certain of that?'' It was truly strange for 2B how easily Shirou could leave her astonished with just a few words.

The boy didn't really know much about 2B and the world she knew, but he could at the very least notice the small things between them. ''Setting aside what our bodies are made from the inside and all, do you see any major difference between you and me?''

The android wanted to reply but had a hard time coming up with an actual counterpoint. 2B herself believed Shirou was an android or machine at first as there was nothing visible that would point to him being a human.

If the situation would have been reversed and Shirou would have been the one to end up in her era, there was a large possibility that no one would have realized the boy was human when first meeting him. ''… I don't.''

She lied.

Deep down she knew the truth and was afraid of it.

There was something.

Something that all humans possessed and she lacked.

That one thing that defined their humanity.

The very thing she knew she could never have.

''There you have it.'' Once again the red haired boy smiled innocently to her, clearly unaware of the truth. A smile that felt both warm and bitter for 2B, yet she never voiced it.

Once they were back in the living room, Shirou recalled the exchanges he had here with Taiga, and the ones 2B had with her. ''There's something that I did find kind of curious, why did you choose the name Iris Nines?''

''The Iris name was something spontaneous, the TV was on and I saw someone holding a bouquet of irises on it, I recalled that it was common practice for human women to be named after flowers so I chose the name Iris.''

The boy nodded in agreement. ''You are correct, it's pretty common for girls to be named after flowers, plus I think that the name Iris suits you. Oh, and don't worry I will still call you 2B when it's just us.'' Shirou chuckled as he leaned against the kitchen counter. ''What about the Nines part?''

That last question stabbed her deeply.

There was no change in her features but Shirou could feel that he had just made a mistake.

''… Nines was someone precious to me.''

Immediately he felt the urge to slap himself for his thoughtless question. While he didnt know the details and had no way of knowing what the source of her pain was, it didn't change the fact that he made the scars of her heart ache once again. ''Sorry I didn't mean-''

''It's fine…'' She cut him off, there was no reason for Shirou to get bothered by her own problems… it wasn't worth it. ''It's fine...''

She may have said that but it didn't make Shirou feel any less guilty, nor did it help with the awkward air that was now present between them.

The boy eventually let out a vexed sigh. At this point he was too exhausted to figure things out. The repairs he did all day combined with the recent fiasco with Taiga left him bone dry.

There were many things to figure out and many things to cover if 2B will live here with him from now on, but he can handle that tomorrow. It was time to call it a day. ''Well it's pretty late so how about I give you a tour of your new room?''

''My room?'' Surprise was clearly present on the female humanoid's voice.

''Yeah, I mean now that Fuji-nee knows about you we will have to keep up appearances.'' Shirou elaborated as he began guiding her to one of the many rooms his estate had. ''Besides I was already planning on moving you out of the shed once you were better, that place isn't made for a girl to sleep.''

''Is that so…?'' Honestly she didn't mind living there, there was not much that she required for personal quarters. Sleeping after all was optional, not a necessity for her. When she considered that she currently had no personal belongings, 2B really didn't need a room. However Shirou's points were valid, if she had to give the impression that she was human, she needed to act like one to the best of her capabilities. Her living in that storage unit she was kept up until now would only serve to be counterproductive.

As the two made their way through the estate's halls, a lone thought crossed 2Bs mind, a thought that she eventually voiced. ''Can pod 042 stay with me?''

Shirou responded with a cheerful smile. ''Sure thing.''

* * *

**Author notes:**

Last chapter was focused on what was happening on the side, this one is back at Shirou and 2B

Sooo there's not much progress plot wise, but i will be there… one day.

So 2B officially moved in with Shirou with Taiga's blessings… so that's a thing.

Insert fake name moment. So i tried to find her a fake name since let's be honest, while Taiga is gullible, even she would find someone called 2B suspicious. Tried to come up with an interesting name, but failed to find something that may resemble 2B.

The closest I could think was Tobi… and that's just lame for so many reasons.

Originally wanted to go with Luna Nines, but I think Iris Nines has a nicer ring to it.

Some may question the whole 'Iris' bit but it will it have some interesting relevance later on.

Apparently Taiga believes Iris Nines is a crippled girl in mourning that lost her family and home. Well she isn't that wrong, but she isn't exactly right either.

And pod 42 is also back online, wonder how his pure robot mind will handle what I will throw at it… let us all pray that Rin doesn't get her hands on it.

I guess now begins 2B's integration process into this timeline. Well, she has a long road ahead of her… especially Shirou with dealing with all this.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	7. Taste of the unknown

Soft eyelashes slowly parted away as steel blue eyes stared aimlessly at the foreign ceiling above her. After a brief moment, she realized that it was now most likely morning if the light from the window was any indication.

2B slowly lifted herself up and once again visually explored the room she now resided in. It was a room rather simple in its design with its features consisting of a fairly large bed, a work desk, a small library, a closet, and a coffee table in the middle.

A simple layout, yet she found it quite quaint compared to her old living quarters.

Her eyes drifted towards the clock next to the bed. The time was 8:30 A.M., meaning it had been nine hours since her last record. The small box like machine that was her Pod quietly floated in front of her and gave her a flat greeting.

"[Good morning 2B.]"

The female android gave her pod a small nod in acknowledgement. "Good morning pod, did the maintenance go well?"

Shirou had brought her to this room last night and once he went to sleep, she pondered what could she actually do here to pass the time. Unlike the red haired human, sleeping for her wasn't a necessity. After about an hour of staring at her surroundings, she began talking with her pod. Their discussion eventually led to him informing her that their data banks seemed to be in disorder in addition to missing files. The AI droid speculated that the power surge that hit them when they got sent to the past must have been the cause.

As such he recommended that 2B undergo data maintenance.

In all honesty 2B was glad since she had literally nothing else to do and data maintenance required her sense of consciousness to go offline. Normally she did not enjoy this, however in this care she would take it over spending hours of doing nothing.

"[Affirmative. Data banks have been reconfigured and will steadily recover the missing files.]"

"I see." She gave a small nod, still lying on the bed. "Did you manage to analyse all of the data that I sent you?"

"[Affirmative.]"

There was a pause as the android rolled in the bed, burying her face in the pillow as her fingers ran across the bed sheets, its texture feeling familiar yet at the same time foreign to her. "Do you still believe this is all artificial?"

"[After careful analysis and further calculations, this unit has reached the conclusion that the current set of occurrences are authentic.]"

That was a start 2B thought to herself. At first her pod was in just as much denial about everything as she was in the beginning, though in its case it was more a denial based from a purely scientific and logical point of view..

Though she shared similar views she couldn't deny that her rejection of events also contained a certain amount of emotional outburst in it. She rolled again in the bed, face half buried into the pillow, her exposed eye looking at the pod with a mild curiosity. "Tell me pod, what do you believe is the proper protocol for the situation we currently find ourselves in?"

The pod was silent for a bit before he finally answered. "[...This unit is unable to answer that inquiry. There is no protocol within our data to guide us in case of an occurrence such as 'time travel'.]"

The android half scoffed at the response. "... Figures."

Of course it wasn't that easy, it never was. Problems never 'magically' solved themselves, they never did, this was why she denied the idea of 'magic' in the first place. However, that didn't change anything for her. Regardless she had to come up with a course of action for herself, as difficult as she found it to do so in the current situation.

"[Your mental harmonics are fluctuating 2B.]"

Like she didn't already know that. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned around and faced the ceiling. "I'm trying to understand what my purpose is now."

"[The objective of the YoRHa troops will always be protection and servitude towards the human race.]"

"Does all of that truly still apply?" 2B trailed off as she lifted her hands in the air, staring at them for no particular reason. "As it stands, we are no longer bound by the previous rules and duties we had when we were in our era."

Looking at it logically, it was true. YoRHa did not _exist_ presently, so none of their regulations or orders were in effect technically speaking.

"[You are aware that you cannot reject your core programming.]" The pod explained, its voice ever still the dull mechanical tone. "[Doing so would be most detrimental to you.]"

2B's fingers gripped onto the bed sheets, her lips were struggling to stay in place.

"I know, it's just... I'm not sure how am I supposed to uphold that program anymore." her voice felt empty, just like the meaning of her existence. "Fighting the enemy machines was my way of upholding that directive… but they do not exist in this time period."

She was a battle unit, specifically designed for combat. Now that she had no 'enemy' to fight, how else could she serve her core drive? A sword was useless in times of peace after all.

All that awaited it was to rust away.

"[This unit is uncertain of how it can assist.]"

"Neither do I Pod… Neither do I…" her voice echoed slowly in the room, her pod was lucky it was a pure AI and didn't have to go through the inner emotional struggles she did. A sudden knock on the door broke her out of her thought process, her attention shifting to the person behind it.

"2B, are you awake?" she heard Shirou's muffled voice from behind the door, curious to why he bothered knocking in the first since this was one of his living quarters after all.

"Yes." she responded in acknowledgement.

"Can I come in?"

There was a brief pause as the white haired girl looked to the side of the bed for her visor. The moment she spotted it she quickly put it on, hiding her eyes from the world once again.

Afterwards she froze, realizing what she had just done. Confusion seemed to linger in the gynoid as to why she suddenly felt the need to do that. However she soon she dismissed it as a mere whim, turning her attention back to the waiting young human.

"You may enter."

Shirou slowly stepped into the room and gave her a kind smile after seeing that she was fine, all tuckered underneath the blankets. "Good morning."

"Good morning." 2B had reciprocated the greeting but she did not smile. This didn't go unnoticed by Shirou, the boy worrying that his guest did not have the best rest she could.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"I do not require sleep." responded 2B.

"... Oh, right." Shirou muttered awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. She did mention this a while back. "Was the bed at least comfy?"

"Quite." she stated flatly, though her fingers were trailing across the pillow. "Especially the pillow, it's so fluffy."

In all honesty Shirou wasn't sure about this but simply decided to roll with it. "At least that's good then."

An awkward silence soon fell upon them. Shirou came here to see how she was and he didn't really think about what to actually talk to her about. He did know what he had planned for them today but he wanted to do some small talk first, something he was clearly failing at right now. With a frustrated sigh the boy ran a hand through his hair and gave the YoRHa android a small smile.

"Well, we have a long day ahead of us, so how about you get ready to move out?"

"Very well." that was the most preferable course of action as laying all day in bed had little meaning for her. With that in mind the YoRHa android moved the blanket off her and began getting out of the bed.

"Good, then how about-" Shirou's tongue got tangled in his mouth the moment he saw 2B try to get up, his face turning bright red like a tomato.

2B found his reaction confusing, the sudden change in his skin color concerned her, wondering if he was perhaps experiencing some kind of human disease. "Is something wrong?" Shirou didn't answer immediately and seemed to avoid looking directly at her for some reason.

"W-What happened to the rest of your clothes?"

The android almost tilted her head in wonder, not understanding why that had any relevance in the matter. Was that the reason for his distress?

"I took them off?" 2B said unsure of what else to say.

She really didn't understand what the issue was. The YoRHa android was aware that nudity no matter the era was not accepted, but she wasn't by any means currently nude. all she did was take off her skirt and the upper part of her dress. She was still dressed enough to uphold decency standards with all intimate parts properly covered.

At least that was what 2B thought...

Her current attire wasn't exactly what people like Shirou would classify as decent. She was sporting some kind of skin tight white leotard that was exposing a rather large amount of cleavage, nothing too indecent but damn did it look tight on her body, giving him a full view of her beautiful curves. Shirou up until that point had no idea how alluring thighs and hips could be.

Other men would have killed to get even a small glimpse of what he was currently seeing. However the boys sense of decency made him unable to look at her, in spite of how damn tempting it was to do young Emiya covered his eyes with the palm of his hand, but couldn't resist occasionally taking a couple of glimpses through his fingers at her. "You could have warned me…"

2B unfortunately, still failed to see what the issue was. "Warn you about what?"

"You know what, never mind." the redhead spoke in haste as he quickly made his way out of the room. "I'll be back in five minuntes, make sure to be fully dressed by then, bye bye!"

"..." Both the gynoid and her pod stared at the door in bewilderment. "What was that all about?"

Sadly, her Pod wasn't doing any better in understanding what had just happened. "[This unit is uncertain of the source of the human Shirou Emiya's reaction.]"

Human behaviour was most intriguing. Pod 042 reached the conclusion that further research and recording will be required for an in depth analysis.

* * *

Shirou could still feel his face burning as he pushed 2B's wheelchair through the halls of his house. By the time the boy went back to pick her up, thankfully she was fully dressed and he could put into motion the itinerary that he planned for today. That aside, Shirou felt very awkward about the previous encounter he had and the fact that 2B didn't seem at all bothered by it only made it worse. As it stood the young Emiya had little contact with the opposite gender so an encounter of that type really took him by surprise.

He didn't count Taiga because, well... it was Taiga.

That being said Shirou had been very silent this whole time and it made the white haired android wonder if she had said or did anything that bothered the human. When the two of them reached the main living room 2B scanned the room curiously, her head tilting curiously, an action which didn't go unnoticed by the red haired boy. "... Is something wrong?"

2B slowly lifted her head and gave what Shirou assumed was a curious stare, her visor making it difficult for the boy to tell how she was feeling. "I was under the impression that miss Taiga will be present."

The boy thought about it for a moment and recalled that his sister figure did say last night she will be here this morning. "Oh right, I talked with her on the phone and apparently something came up. So she won't drop by until later tonight which is a blessing for us."

Dealing with Taiga the previous night was an utter nightmare and he wasn't up for another round so soon. He parked 2B near the dinner table, which was already up and ready for breakfast.

Shirou let out an awkward laugh as he took his seat and took another look at the food he prepared. "It's not much, but I hope you will like it."

Keeping Taiga busy with food last night had proven a challenge that came at a heavy cost, his pantry just looked so sad at the end of it all. It was difficult, yes, but that wouldn't stop Shirou from doing his best. With some effort he had managed to put together a simple breakfast with what he still had lying around in the fridge. Some steamed rice, miso soup, a couple of egg rolls, and fried fish for each of them.

Nothing too fancy or filling but it was enough for a light Japanese breakfast and Shirou hoped his new companion would like it.

The response he got from 2B however was an odd one. She just seemed to stare at the food with a blank unreadable expression. Shirou for one immediately started to inwardly panic, unsure if what he made was up to her standards. After all, he had no idea what kind of crazy food they had developed in the future. The question that soon followed from his guest only served to further confuse the boy. "... Is this food?"

If Shirou was taken aback by that remark, he didn't show it. Somehow managing to maintain a straight face and answer her question. "Uh, yeah, doesn't it look like it?"

"I believe it does?" the curious tone in her voice didn't help with her credibility.

The boy had a hard time repressing a small snark at this. "You sure don't sound convinced."

2B took a moment and tried to further elaborate. "I never saw cooked food before."

Shirou almost fell on the floor at that statement, his mind having a hard time wrapping itself around this. "...Never?"

"No."

That just threw the redhead for a loop. What exactly did that mean? Did 2B eat food raw?

Did she eat something else that didn't require any form of preparation?

Wait…

A sudden realization hit the boy, yet he felt very odd to ask this question. "... You do eat, don't you?"

That question sounded even stupider now that he said it out loud. It was like asking a person if they breathe. Fortunately for Shirou, the female android in front of him did not consider the question odd at all and answered without an issue. "There was never a reason for me to do so. Androids do not require nourishment in order to function the way humans do."

Oh right, android. Shirou didn't know why he kept forgetting that small detail. He now had to double check before he made an even bigger fool of himself. "Okay, okay, let me rephrase that. Are you physically capable of consuming human food?"

"I am." 2B responded.

The boy couldn't hold back his eye from twitching from her succinct answer. "If you can eat, weren't you ever curious how it was like?"

2B simply shook her head. "There were times it did occur to me but I never proceeded with the action." She took a pause to properly explain it so Shirou could see things from her perspective. "In my era food is scarce. Most of the world's edible fruits and vegetables did not properly acclimate to environmental changes and died off. But you could still find certain breeds if you looked hard enough and there were still certain species of fish and wild animals still around."

"Then why didn't you try it?"

"For what purpose?" she still did not see the point. "Like I said I do not require food, there was no reason in doing so."

Shirou wanted to counter this utilitarian way of thinking but there wasn't any argument he could find at the moment.

The way 2B put it, what she did wasn't bad or anything as such. She simply saw no need to partake in an activity that simply had no actual benefit for her. He wasn't very informed, but he knew there are endangered species of animals that were still hunted to this days for dumb reasons. Examples being making fur coats, making trophies out of their hides, or even just for the fun of it. In context, 2B was actually doing the right thing by not indulging in senseless eating when food was scarce as it is in her time.

Truth be told Shirou wasn't all that different now that he thought about it. He didn't really approve of things that just had no meaning or benefit to him or others in the grand scheme of things. Smoking for instance was something he didn't get, the boy just didn't understand what the whole deal was with that.

The fact that 2B was of a similar nature he could empathize with, however the case with food being scarce was a problem in her era, not in the one she was in right now.

"Why not try some then, who knows, perhaps you might like it."

Shirou didn't really have what people might call a sense of pride, but the idea of not even trying his food before shutting it down rubbed him the wrong way. He could take constructive criticism no problem asked, but they should at least taste it first.

The white haired android took a moment to ponder on it.

There wasn't really any meaning in eating for her, but she did recall some of the other YoRHa corps members at the bunker experiencing it. Some of them gave rather cryptic remarks about it, like operator O6, stating that it makes your tongue to dance in your mouth. 9S had also told her on several occasions that he found a place where wild fruit still grew and that if she liked they could go there and try them any time she wanted. She would always tell him that she would think about it, or that they could do it some other time… Yet another promise she had broken.

…

The YoRHa android let out a small sigh and nodded her head. There was no use moping over it now.

"Itadakimasu." Shirou said loudly as he split his chopsticks in two and reached for his bowl. He stopped when he noticed that 2B was giving him a perplexed look. "It's a thing Japanese tend to say before you eat, more or less to enjoy the meal."

2B nodded as she picked her own chopsticks and split them apart. She took a moment to view how Shirou utilized them, observing his form and hand movement.

Once she adjusted her form to imitate his, she finally reached for her share of the food. "... Itadakimasu."

She first went for the rice, but when she tried to pick it up she accidentally snapped her chopsticks. Both people at the table stared silently at the broken pieces of wood, the awkwardness of the situation hovering in the air. Shirou said nothing and slowly offered her a new pair. 2B picked them up and tried again, this time lowering the amount of force in her hand. When she reached for the rice she picked a bit of it, but sadly she crushed the grains when she did it. That made her frown underneath her visor, but it didn't stop her from trying again.

It took her three tries before she finally found the right amount of force to apply without breaking the chopsticks or crushing the rice. Finally she managed to secure her target. Now all she had to do was bring it to her mouth and she would complete her objective. However, the rice fell out of the chopsticks halfway through landing squarely on the table. 2B's body stood still after that.

Shirou could have sworn he saw her eye twitch underneath her visor.

Noticing her peril and ever growing annoyance, the boy let out a dry cough, once he got her attention he offered her a small suggestion. "You know… You could just hold the bowl like this."

2B took a moment to process what the boy was referring to. He was holding the bowl with his free hand close to his mouth, unlike her who was reaching for the bowl she had on the table.

This was probably one of the few instances in her existence when 2B felt like an utter idiot.

Why didn't she think of that?

Now she felt embarrassed and found herself unable to thank Shirou, so she instead silently did as he rice steadily made its way to her mouth, she could feel the heat emitted by it when it brushed past her lips. Finally she closed her mouth and extracted the wooden utensils. There was no visible movement from her, she stood there and tried to discern the foreign sensations she was presently experiencing.

Shirou noticed that she eventually began to chew, nervously waiting for a reaction. When she finally swallowed she didn't say anything and kept staring at her bowl of rice. The boy felt like he was at one of those crazy cooking shows and was waiting for the judges response and verdict. Since nothing as such happened, Shirou decided to break the ice himself. "... How is it?"

"It's…" she paused, the girl in front of him now looking like a student that was suddenly asked about the homework she forgot to do. "It's hard to describe…"

That was an understatement...

These sensations were so foreign to her. Up until now her tasting experiences were anything but pleasant, granted her only experiences were dust, sand, and the occasional 'blood' from her wounds. However, all of those were accidental occurrences, not food sampling.

This however… It left her speechless.

The texture, the scent, the flavor… It was all so overwhelmingly new to her. In spite of how in awe 2B was, her expression was still her usual stoic one. Shirou had to double check just to make sure. "In a good way or a bad one?"

The android had paused once again to contemplate about it, the conclusion she reached was rather interesting. A small faint smile spread across her lips. "In a good way, most certainly."

It was strange how such a small act from her made Shirou's face lit up. The boy forced a nod and continued to eat in silence.

* * *

Shirou was humming to himself as he put the dishes in the sink and was getting ready to wash them. Truly, seeing someone eat his food and enjoy it always brought a smile to his face.

The way 2B looked and paused whenever she tried a new dish was somewhat cute Shirou thought.

A night and day contrast to how Taiga would eat his food. His Fuji-nee usually chowed down on it in haste like some sort of a starved animal. And the woman wondered why some people tended to call her Tiger, that wasn't just because of her name. Shirou paused in thought as he placed the soup bowls in the sink. His left eye twitching in realization as he recalled the conversation he had with his guardian the previous night.

Now that Shirou thought about it for a moment, Taiga's threat to take away his kitchen was utter bullshit. If she would have gone through with it, she would have been denied any food from him. Something which Shirou knew all too well from personal experience just how much of a negative effect it had on her. "Damn, that woman was good at bluffing." he fumed silently in the confines of his kitchen. He still had a long way to go before he could stand up to the tiger woman.

Well, no use crying over spilled milk, he had better things to do today. Which reminded him.

He peeked his head over the kitchen counter and looked over at 2B who was immersed in watching some commercial on TV. "By the way 2B, we should get ready to go shopping once I'm done with the dishes."

2B blinked a few times underneath her visor, not sure if she had just heard the boy right. "Would you please repeat that?"

"I said we need to go shopping."

So her audio receptors were not malfunctioning, that was a good thing, but Shirou's statement on the other hand was odd. "For what purpose?"

The boy took a moment before answering, trying to be as delicate as he could about this subject. "Well, you kinda need clothes 2B."

All she had was that goth like dress, and in all honesty Shirou had no clue how Taiga didn't make any remark about it.

"That is not the case, I'm perfectly fine with my YoRHa uniform."

The corner of Shirou's mouth was slowly twitching, trying to think of a way to explain the problematic issue without sounding rude. "B-But you can't just wear the same clothes all the time. They can get dirty, plus your clothes have holes in them!"

It was fortunate that most of said holes were on the back and in the lower half of her dress and that Taiga didn't get to see them.

2B could see the reason in Shirou's worry and they were justified, however they did not apply to her. "That won't be a problem. You see this uniform isn't made from normal cloth fibers, they are actually a type of synthesized metallic fiber. In a sense they are mechanized in nature and my nanomachines are able to repair them as they do with my own body."

Shirou was feeling on the ropes with this argument and was running out of ideas. He could only respond in a deadpan at her statement. "That sounds like some... strong clothes you have there."

2B however didn't seem to notice the hint of sarcasm in Shirou's voice. "Quite, they're durable enough to deflect low caliber firearms."

Though she still had no idea why it was only her skirt that got destroyed whenever she performed a restricted self destruct sequence while the rest of her clothes stayed intact.

"I s-see…" he was getting desperate here, no excuse came to mind that wasn't insulting in one way or another was popping in his head. "But you still need other clothes, you can't just wear those."

"Why?" her innocent confusion only made Shirou further feel like a jerk for continuously bringing it up. Dammit, how was he supposed to explain to her that her clothes made her look like some kind of Gothic fetish model without sounding rude?

There was a pause in Shirou's thoughts, soon followed by an imaginary lightbulb being turned on.

Wait… Model…?

That's it!

It was time for Shirou Emiya to reach down to his inner strength and bullshit his way out of this. "Actually 2B the problem with your clothes is that they don't really match this era vestimental norm."

The android tilted her head at this. "They do not?"

Close, he was almost there. "Yes, in fact they really stand out and would get a lot of unwanted attention so my advice would be to get some regular clothes to help you blend in more easily."

_Please buy it!_

The android took a moment and went over this, now that Shirou brought it to her attention her current attire was anything but similar to what this era humans were wearing. "I see, I didn't realize that up until now. It would explain why I was constantly getting such curious stares from people whenever you took me out for a walk."

Shirou didn't disagree about that part, however he was most certain that she was getting so many stares because of how beautiful she was rather than what she was wearing. Not that he will tell her that outloud. The boy faked a smile to hide how much he was inwardly panicking, fearing that this thing could fall apart at any moment. "I'm glad you understand. We also need to keep up appearances for Fuji-nee, she is already suspicious enough as it is, so if she snoops around and notices that you have no personal possessions at all she will really start getting suspicious."

She nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. What do you suggest I should acquire then?"

And homerun!

With a breath of relief and small feeling of victory the young Emiya thought about this for a minute. "Well let's see… Basic necessities… I think?"

"Which are?" 2B was unsure if Shirou's definition of basic necessities were the same as the ones she considered. Such as swords, spears, combat bracers, or outfitting pod with machine guns and missiles. There was also the laser function but she wasn't sure how feasible that was in this era.

"Clothes, shoes, hygiene articles, maybe some accessories. A bare minimum at first then we can get you more stuff later on."

Those were most certainly not among the necessities she required when she was deployed for a mission. Quite a large number of different items, but if Shirou believed they were necessary then she will not retort him… for now at least. There might be items among them that she does not actually require but she has to own them in order to keep up appearances for Taiga.

The following minutes passed by in silence as Shirou finished washing the dishes. In that time 2B kept reflecting about her clothes, and still didn't really understand it in the end. Clothes were clothes, their function was to cover the body and act as a layer of protection. Did it really matter how they were aesthetically designed?

As she reflected the android was hit by a small realization. When she saw Shirou step out of the kitchen she decided to voice it. "Shirou if my clothes do gather unwanted attention won't they do just that while we go shopping?"

The boy froze midway as he was drying his hands, feeling quite awkward about what 2B had just told him. "… Didn't think about it."

He leaned against the nearby wall and thought about it for a bit. 2B stuck out as it was, her clothes only made things worse so he had to get her some different clothes. Shirou didn't need to measure her up to know that his clothes wouldn't fit her, so he needed a different solution. There was a moment of realization on his face and he quickly made his way out of the room. "Wait here, I will be right back."

The gynoid stared at the door, then down at her wheelchair, muttering to herself. "… Not like I can go anywhere like this."

It was about five minutes before Shirou was back but not empty handed as he was carrying what appeared to a small pile of clothes. "Fuji-nee left me some of her old clothes a while back so that I could fix them. She keeps forgetting to pick them up so let's put them to good use."

That was a most efficient idea the android thought, however she knew that those clothes did not belong to either of them. "Won't miss Taiga mind that I am wearing her clothes?"

In all honesty Shirou did not want to imagine what would happen if Taiga caught them.

"Only if she catches us." Shirou muttered under his breath.

"I see…" she actually didn't know what was going on anymore but decided to roll with it.

The redhead placed the clothes next to her and let out a dry cough in his fist. "W-Well then, you change into those and I will be outside. Please call me when your done."

"Understood."

And just like that he rushed out of the room once more. 2B did not understand why he seemed so uncomfortable about her in moments like these. But then again, what did she really understand about humans anyway?

* * *

Shirou sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe he was saying this but dealing with Taiga was so much easier than interacting with 2B. Sure his sister figure was a handful but she was easy to understand and he knew overall how to deal with her in general.

2B on the other hand was confusing and contradicting. He was having a tough time even coming up with the proper analogy to describe her.

In a sense she was like both a child and an adult. She had reason, the intelligence to understand but she didn't see the meaning behind a lot of things. In addition she also lacked most of today's social norms, which also didn't help matters. Shirou wasn't complaining by any means but he just wanted to understand her better and in turn be able to help her.

Easier said than done however when he often didn't even understand his own actions.

"You may enter." hearing her voice through the door brought him out of his thoughts.

He did want to contemplate about this for a little more but they had a long day ahead of them.

With a sigh the boy stepped back in the room, but he didn't go past the door frame. The moment he saw her he couldn't help but stop and look at her. Shirou was aware what clothes he gave her so he knew what to expect but seeing what lay before his own eyes was something else entirely.

Taiga didn't really have much of a fashion sense in his opinion. The clothes she picked were either plain or outright weird. He just couldn't see the logic she had behind it, if she truly hated being called Tiger why would she buy so many tiger striped clothes. Those aside, the ones that he found and gave 2B were fortunately the more plain ones. The white haired maiden was currently wearing a simple white blouse and pale pink skirt that reached past her shin's.

It wasn't anything special, yet it really stood out on her.

Perhaps he was simply not used to seeing her in anything else besides her so called YoRHa uniform. Nonetheless, it left him rather speechless. Something which didn't go unnoticed by the female in question.

"Shirou?"

The boy blinked a couple of times before drifting his eyes to the side, feeling so awkward about staring at her like that. "Sorry, my mind was busy with something else." Shirou didn't like lying to her but he also wouldn't have liked to make things even more awkward between them. "So how are the clothes? Do they fit?"

"I think so… though this one is rather tight on the waistline."

Shirou could only stare blankly as she gestured to her skirt. For one thing that skirt was supposed to be a loose one, and yet on 2B it hugged and accentuated her lower half more than he was comfortable with. To add salt to the wound 2B had turned around to prove her point, giving Shirou a full view of the issue.

It took about a minute before Shirou broke out of his trance and untangled his tongue to speak again. "...I see…"

The skirt from her old uniform while dangerously short did manage to cover her backside properly, so Shirou was caught off guard with the new one. The current view causing him to have some rather indecent thoughts. Was it wrong that he actually thought for a brief moment that the androids butt looked big and soft? And that he wanted to use it as a pillow?

When the boy realized what he was thinking of he pinched his thigh hard. Focusing on the pain and out of his internal musings. He really needed to stop letting Shinji show him his collection of dirty magazines.

Once he was successful in banishing the indecent thoughts he shifted his focus on a different issue.

There was one thing in particular about 2B's current look that did bother Shirou.

She was still wearing the visor around her eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-no, everything is fine." He replied in a haste, trying his best to change the subject, which led him to notice her old clothes neatly piled near her on the floor, particularly her old shoes. "Wow, those are some really long high heels you have. Isn't it hard to move in them?"

Fortunately 2B didn't linger on the previous subject. "Not quite, they never hindered me before, the opposite in fact, they make for good use in combat."

"How?" Shirou failed to see how those things were combat efficient.

"They make efficient puncture weapons."

Maybe it would have been better if he didn't ask, somehow the image of getting hit by those stake like heels was very painful in his mind. "R-right… I think it would be best to avoid high heels for a while. "

"Why?" once again Shirou was making a point that 2B just wasn't seeing.

"Well I think girls wear them for more special occasions than daily routine. Like at a party, or an event or something."

"So I should focus on looking for shoes without heels?"

He quickly brought his arms up and waved them, not wanting to give the impression that he was ordering her around. "I didn't say that, but if anything try to pick something smaller, they are less conspicuous… I think?"

He didn't really know how to phrase it, it was just that he hardly saw women around the neighborhood or downtown wearing heels that big and didn't want 2B to stand out anymore than she already did.

"Understood." 2B nodded and gave the clothes she was wearing one more look. They felt quite nice actually, much lighter than her regular ones, the materials were also pleasant to the touch. This made the android wonder if all clothes felt like this. "Should I then look for clothes similar to those of miss Taiga?"

The boy's response was immediate. "No." When Shirou realized how desperate he must have seemed when answered he decided to give some context. "J-Just avoid getting tiger striped clothes… God knows one tiger woman is enough for me to handle."

With a sigh the boy walked up to her and help her get ready. From what he could observe 2B didn't seem to depend on the wheelchair as only one of her legs was unresponsive. 2B could probably walk by herself if she wanted to, granted with a great amount of difficulty since she would have to drag the other leg after her but she could still do it.

True as that may have been, Shirou wasn't going to let her struggle walking that way so he will keep helping her with the wheelchair. "Huh…" there was a pause as Shirou now stood face to face with 2B.

Curiosity filled the android at the humans silence. "What is it?"

Shirou blinked a few times, scratching his cheek in awkwardness. "I always thought you were taller than me… Guess it was the heels."

Now that Shirou thought about it, with how long and thin those things were it was no wonder she said they could be used as puncture weapons.

2B didn't comment about that remark and simply sat back in her wheelchair, allowing the boy to carefully take her out shopping.

Shopping.

_Shopping…_

…

As the two made their way outside, that lone thought surfaced in the gynoids mind. A memory of a promise she made to her old partner one of their many expeditions, one of the many promises she ended up breaking.

The change in the air around her didn't go unnoticed by the young Emiya. "Is something wrong 2B?"

"N-No… Just…" She was caught off guard, one of the rare moments when she was letting her feelings have a hold over her. This was what she avoided, less she wanted to lose control.

Seeing her like that made Shirou clench his fists in frustration, he had to do something. A deep breath escaped his lips as he relaxed himself and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"C-Could I buy a T-Shirt?" her tone was just one step away from being skittish.

The boy almost cracked a chuckle at this, was she really worrying about something so random?

"That's all? Sure you can, actually let's get you a few pairs, they're good to wear indoors anyway." It felt minor and was so random that Shirou couldn't understand why 2B had such a hard time voicing it out.

Little did Shirou know how much meaning that small request had to 2B.

* * *

**Omake: An android in Chaldea**

Within the summoning room of the Chaldea Security Organisation, Fujimaru Ritsuka sighed as she prepared for another servant summon attempt.

"Are you feeling sick senpai?" The demi-servant Mash Kyrielight asked in concern as she saw the look on her senpai's face.

Ritsuka blinked as she realized she had been staring at the platform for five minutes straight without saying a word. The red haired master gave her first servant a reassuring smile. "No Mash, I'm fine."

The glasses wearing girl didn't buy it. "Then why do you seem so down?"

Ritsuka's smile quickly faded, she could never get past Mash's radar. "Just hoping todays summon attempt won't be another failure."

That wouldn't do at all, she couldn't let her senpai get depressed like this, pumping her fists up to her chest the purple eyed girl reassured her. "I'm sure it will be fine, I have a feeling that everything will go well today."

The smile returned to Ritsuka's face, this time a genuine one. "Whatever would I do without you?"

There was no use moping around here, she had a job to do.

"Well then let's get this show rolling!" the master of Chaldea grinned as she stood in front of the summoning platform. "Ready when you are doctor!"

"[You know Fujimaru-chan, its when you are too hyped that the summon fails.]" Doctor Romani Archiman remarked over the speaker, a small teasing tone present in his voice. Before Ritsuka or Mash could comment on this, they heard a loud noise over the speaker, as if someones head was just smacked against a desk.

"[Don't listen to the brooding man, I'm sure today's summon will be a golden one as Kintoki-san would say.]" Leonardo da Vinci laughed heartily over the speaker.

Ristuka chuckled as lifted her hand, her command seals glowing as the summon ritual commenced. A rainbow colored light appeared within the summoning circle, flashing so strongly that the room's inhabitants were temporarily blinded. With a loud crackle the summoning was complete, Ritsuka feeling her command seals burning as a new contract had been established.

A new servant now stood in Chaldea.

Its presence being remarked in a most positive way. "[Wow, just look at these parameters Leonardo…]"

"[Ritsuka apparently got herself a first class servant.]" The gender uncertain servant smiled as she eyes their newest ally from head to toe, quiet enjoying the view. "[She's quite the beauty to boot, this genius approves.]"

"Beauty?" Ritsuka murmured as she rubbed her eyes, still sore from the light show, even after the many summons she had performed she always keeps forgetting to bring some sunglasses to the summoning ritual.

When she finally saw the new servant she was half tempted to whistle, da Vinci wasn't kidding that's for sure, the new servant was a woman that could give even the servants known for their beauty a run for their money. Her clothes were also cool, while she wasn't all that much into black clothes, it looked great on her, the eye band was also a nice touch as it added a unique flair to her.

"Servant Ruler, reporting for duty." the newcomer stepped forward and made a salute in a sort of militarist way, her eyes shifting to the two girls in the room, particularly the one that appeared to have command seals on her hand. "Are you my master?"

"You did it senpai! Not only did the summon succeed but you called forth one of the rare extra class servants!" Mash clapped in awe.

In all honesty Ritsuka wanted to give Mash a hug right now, but she had other things to cover first. The red haired master rushed at her, giving her a beaming smile. "Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you, I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"Then our contract is comple-" Her words were cut short as the servant saw her new masters face. That hair… those eyes… that face… that smile.

She looked… like _him_.

Something inside her chest immediately ached when it happened, but she steeled herself. The mask of stoicism that she perfected was back on as she embarked on a new mission.

For both her and _his_ sake.

Ritsuka didn't really noticed any particularly change, the cloth around the eyes making it a bit difficult, but she felt something a bit off about her.. "Is something wrong?"

The Ruler servant shook her head as she walked forward, her heels echoing in the room. "Nothing at all, you simply reminded me of someone I used to know,"

That made the Chaldea master curious. "Someone important?"

"Yes…" She nodded as a sad yet nostalgic smile spread across her lips. "My most precious person."

"I see…" Ritsuka trailed nervously, feeling that she just brought up some bad memories. Not the best first meeting that's for sure. Trying to change the subject, the master opened a new topic she needed to cover with their newest member. "Well I know it's not really standard but here we don't really use the class names since we have a lot of servants of the same class. So if you don't mind, may we know your true name?"

"... Feel free to call me 2B."

"Then 2B, I welcome you to Chaldea."

* * *

_**Author notes**_

And with I'm starting an omake series with 2B as a Chaldea servant. To clarify, these omakes will be canon within the story, as this is 2B after the end of the current story. Basically this is after 'Hearts of true steel' ends.

So you may spot small bits and clues to what may happen in the story in the omakes.

Plus its 2B interacting with the Chaldea cast, so that alone is a bonus in my book.

OK so onto the chapter itself. I initially wanted to also cover the events of Shirou shopping with 2B but noticed I already wrote a decent amount so I will keep that for the next chapter. I left it on a cliffhanger, and those who know why the T-shirt but mattered, well, good for you.

Also damn, Shirou got some good eyecandy today.

Now before you hard core NieR:Automata fans bite my head off for making 2B able to eat, I thinks its BS to be able to taste food and not be able to actually eat it. Plus it just doesn't feel right if Shirou can't have his potential android waifu eat his food. I also know that the mackerel ending in the game is a thing so I guess I will specify that 2B can't eat any kind of food without a problem. Plus its a mackerel from a post apocalyptic world. I doubt that thing was the same as regular mackerel.

And here I am debating mackerels… Man I need a drink.

Anyway next chapter contains shopping, thongs, and bath scenes so stay tuned.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	8. Broken reflection

"Would this one suffice?" 2B asked somewhat eagerly, presenting Shirou the latest piece of clothing she had secured.

The young Emiya gave the T-shirt a long stare. Which was a rather torturous job since 2B was currently trying it on. "...I'm not sure?" he really didn't have the slightest clue, fashion was at the bottom of the bucket list of talents he possessed. One could easily tell that he didn't have much of a fashion sense to begin with given the rather simple way he dressed. The boy may have berated Taiga for her lack of taste in clothes but he wasn't any better, heck he may even be worse. As such Shirou couldn't really give any aesthetic comments to 2B's choices, so he settled on giving her a practical one. "Those decorations seem a bit fragile."

The T-shirt 2B chose was for the most part a plain white one, the exception being a rose made out of small shining rocks stitched onto the middle of the chest. Even without knowing anything about clothes Shirou could tell at first glance that those plastic ornaments on it were extremely fragile.

2B however didn't quite see it that way, running her hand over the decorative rose to prove her point. "I don't believe they are that-" The white haired android didn't finish her sentence as two of the stones fell off. Both the human and YoRHa agent stared silently at what had just happened. "Point established."

With that done, the changing cabin curtain was closed and 2B went back to trying another T-Shirt. Shirou sighed tiredly while rubbing the bridge of his nose. This was probably the first time he went shopping for clothes with a girl besides Taiga, if he could compare it to that, it was hardly anything alike at all. Maybe it was because this was the very first time 2B went clothes shopping herself. The gynoid was like a child in a candy store, not knowing where to even begin, asking him at every moment what she should try or if what caught her attention was proper. It reached a point that Shirou just took a bunch of shirts her size and went to a cabin with 2B in tow so she could try them on.

Which in hindsight wasn't the brightest idea since he then had to give the final vote for each of them. His face felt like it was lit on fire from some of the shirts she tried on, the tight ones in particular which did little to hide her curves or even worse purposely emphasize them.

Long story short, shopping for clothes with a girl wasn't easy. The only solace that the young Emiya did find with it was the fact his guest seemed to be enjoying herself. While she didn't physically show it, Shirou was fairly certain she was actually excited by all of this, which in turn took a weight off his chest.

After all making others happy was always worth it.

The curtain was pulled away once more and 2B revealed the newest T-Shirt she picked from the pile. "What about this one?"

Shirou took a moment and blinked a couple of times at the newest choice. "You sure you want that one?"

"Is there an issue with it?"

"None I can see, just... do you even like the design?" The shirt was a simple black one, not too tight or too baggy. It was just the right fit, what did get the boys attention however was the big white rabbit head printed on the front of it.

"I do find it… interesting." That was a lie, she actually found it very cute and really enjoyed putting it on.

"If you say so…" In all honesty that T-shirt wasn't bad at all. At least it didn't have the deep neckline like some of the others she wore did.

The YoRHa android turned around with her visor covered eyes staring at the piles of clothes that she went through. On the left were the ones being rejected, while to the right were ones that got Shirou's seal of approval. Looking at the two piles, 2B couldn't help but notice how large both of them were. "I believe with that last one I have obtained a passable number of clothes."

_Thank God._

It was strange how tiring shopping felt to Shirou in spite of how little physical activity it actually involved. The T-shirts aside, 2B did manage to pick other clothes as well and the amount there should likely last her for a while. A small smile made its way on the boy's face. "If that's the case then we can pay for them and go get other things."

The white haired girl nodded and began picking up the clothes that she selected. "Understood."

Without anything left, the duo went and paid for the androids very first sets of _human_ clothes.

* * *

As the two made their way through the local mall, they found they would get the occasional stares from the people around them. The young Emiya for one hoped this wouldn't keep up for long since he didn't want 2B to feel awkward from it. With a small sigh the boys eyes drifted towards his mechanical companion, Shirou couldn't help but stare at the bags strapped to the wheelchair she sat in, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "You weren't kidding when you said that you wanted T-shirts…"

The gynoid misinterpreted what Shirou was pointing at. "Should I have acquired something different?"

"No… I'm just impressed by how many of them you got." he casually remarked.

He liked wearing T-shirts himself, but didn't quite understand why 2B seemed rather fascinated by them. Especially since other types of clothes did not seem to have the same effect on her. If anything, what really amazed Shirou was how some of those T-shirts were designed, empathizing the rather noticeable bust of his companion and clinging tightly to her body. Sure, 2B wasn't ridiculously big in that area, but compared to the average Japanese woman she was rather gifted. However, he wasn't going to make any comments about it. That subject was a whole can of worms he had no intention of opening. Things we're already awkward between them as it is, no need to further complicate things more than they were already. Meanwhile as Shirou was busy contemplating about 2B and her clothes, the person in question was facing her own internal thoughts on the present situation.

_So many people._

The female automaton was under the impression that she saw quite a significant number of people before when Shirou took her out for walks already, but this was on another level entirely. Seeing just one human already was a surreal experience for 2B, and here there were so many of them that she didn't know at which way to look at.

One thing however, that the gynoid did find baffling, was the amount of stares she would attract from those she passed by. Those around her appeared just as fascinated about her as she was about them. Many of them were giving her quite the curious glances, especially among the human males. It was rather concerning since she intentionally changed her clothes in order to not draw any undue attention to herself, yet it did not seem to work out the way she had planned.

Perhaps it was her hair?

Pure white hair on a person her age should not be very common among humans. As such it wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that it would stand out.

She had to inquire about this with Shirou on a later date.

As Shirou pushed 2B's wheelchair his eyes would occasionally wander to the many different displays around them, checking in case he forgot anything that his house guest might require. His walk was brought to a sudden halt as his eyes landed on a mannequin inside one of the displays. A sudden grim realization made the boy facepalm and breakdown in cold sweat.

"Shit…" he couldn't help but whisper.

His reaction did not go unnoticed by his passenger in the wheelchair. "Is something wrong Shirou?"

Shirou in all honesty didn't know how he was even supposed to bring up this subject without making it sound weird. It was just incredibly awkward to say, at least it was for him anyway. "Well… remember when I said you will need some basic necessities?"

"So you did." 2B nodded calmly, waiting for more context.

He took a breath to calm himself, but even after that was unable to fully dismiss the embarrassment evident on his face. The boy's cheeks went bright red as he further explained. "... It seems that I forgot about underwear."

For as embarrassed as Shirou was, the female in question on the other hand didn't seem to understand the issue. "… I still don't see the problem."

Oh boy… did he actually have to explain this to her?

"... I can't go in that store with you." he muttered under his breath.

The android still wasn't getting it as she just continued to look at him. "Why?"

Shirou was desperately trying to brainstorm excuses. "You k-know, it's a shop for women…"

"I don't see why your gender would prevent you from taking a step inside of a store." 2B elaborated as she inspected the location from her seat, trying to assess if there may be some hidden barrier or trap she didn't see. After completing basic perimeter scans, there didn't seem to be anything noticeable that could prevent Shirou from entering. "You didn't have any issue with picking other clothes with me."

The boy felt like he was fighting a losing war as things stood. She wasn't wrong technically speaking, and logically she had a point. But 2B's lack of present day's social standards were completely killing him at the moment. "It doesn't, it's just that… I can't since... you know what forget it… I'll go inside but we will get a store clerk to help you. Picking underwear is an intimate thing after all."

She nodded and agreed with his decision, still unsure of all the panic he displayed at the idea of these clothes over others. It was just undergarments, though now that she thought about it. "If it is an intimate act as you say, wouldn't asking a stranger to help be the opposite of that…?"

Nope, he was done. "J-just…Take what they pick for you." The boy was already mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen. A single line felt like it popped into his head as he crossed the threshold of the store.

'_That's hell you're walking into'_.

* * *

As both human and android made their way back through the peaceful streets of Fuyuki, people would occasionally take a moment to pause and stare at them. This time however, it was mostly due to the despondent expression the young Emiya had.

He knew it…

He _just_ knew it…

"Never again… " he muttered, as his hollow eyes looked absently into the distance.

The young Emiya progressed step by step with an almost bone deep weariness to them, his current expression incongruent with his youthful appearance. Considering how pale and exhausted the boy appeared, one would perhaps assume that he came back from the hospital rather than a lingerie shop.

This display of her companion further confused the already curious 2B; who was stashing the newly acquired bag of undergarments next to the other ones in the wheelchair. "I do not understand your apparent exhausted state Shirou. You simply stood in the shop while the clerk helped me get what I needed."

The boy's eye twitched ever so slightly as the recent memories flashed back in his mind, reminding him of what he was forced to endure. "… Yes, I didn't really do anything, but said clerk kept showing me whatever she picked out for you and kept asking me with that knowing grin of hers if it's up to my taste. "

_Damn woman…_

Teasing him just because he was a kid going through puberty. Worst of all were times she would invite him over in the dressing cabin to look at 2B and give his verdict. No, just no. No matter how_ tempting _it may have been, it wasn't proper.

"I believe that was a proper course of action considering that you are the one who is purchasing them." 2B remarked offhandedly, she herself would often buy and exchange materials in the resistance camp so she had some experience with acquiring goods. "Do you not approve of the clothes that were chosen for me?"

The boy opened his mouth to speak but refrained from making any useless remarks. "No, the clothes are fine, that's not my problem."

"Then what is it?" 2B asked, the curious tone noticeable in her voice.

The boy avoided looking at her, finally replying in an almost whisper. "…The lingerie picked for you."

"Is there an issue with it?"

"… I believe they might be a bit… what's the word… risque?" That was an understatement, most of them looked like stuff from the adult magazines that Shinji tried to make him read with him. All lacy and transparent in places that _should not_ be transparent in or also failing to completely cover areas that should be covered.

Sadly 2B didn't see things his way. "Is that so? I find them adequate, the lower halves particularly as they are similar to the leotard I wore beneath my uniform."

There was a momentary lag in Shirou's brain as the information she said was heard and processed. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Did that mean that the leotard she wore was also a thong? A brief image of perfectly shaped white cheeks came to mind before he forcefully tried to blot it out through sheer willpower.

_Shit._

He didn't want to imagine it, that was an image far too dangerous to have in mind. 2B's rear was already something that he tried his best not to have any indecent thoughts about, if he took in consideration that the leotard he saw her in today when he woke her up was styled as a thong… That was too much for his poor adolescent mind to handle. Sadly, despite his best efforts his mind betrayed him.

_Goddamn hormones... _

After a long moment of calming himself down and thinking about disgusting things like Taiga's cooking, Shirou let out a long tired sigh.

Yep... it was official.

Shirou will have to teach 2B how to do her laundry by herself. There was no way he could wash her undergarments without dying of embarrassment, especially since most of the stuff that clerk picked for 2B was thong style or thin and lacy.

Also in the future he will have to keep a closer eye on his wallet. Now that he had a moment, he looked at the receipts, and felt his mouth go dry. Shirou had never spent this much money before when buying clothes. Sure being a minimalist person by nature didn't help but damn did the clothes he bought for 2B make a dent in his savings account… especially the lingerie. It was ridiculous just how expensive those were.

He might have to look for some part time income now that he had a guest to take care of.

Well no use crying over spilled milk, he simply needed to be extra careful on future shopping sessions. At the very least 2B now had a proper wardrobe.

Speaking of which, the android seemed preoccupied with surveying the streets around them. "You sure seem fascinated by the surroundings 2B."

It took a bit before she replied, her hidden eyes drifting around. "It's different."

He took a quick look around and raised a skeptical eyebrow when he was done. "Is it? Everything seems the same to me."

"... The cherry blossoms are no longer present." she stated, then pointed at the nearby trees that were no longer blooming the beautiful and soft petals.

"Oh, those... well their season is over." Shirou casually said. "It won't be until next spring that they will bloom again."

"... I see." the female android replied, Shirou then noticing the somewhat disappointed look on her face proceeded to ask her a question.

"... Were you perhaps excited to see them again?"

_Very._

"... Somewhat." she muttered slowly.

"... Sorry." he murmured.

"... It's not your fault," her head shook as she gazed at the streets, a different image overlapping within her mind, that of desolate streets and empty ruins. "Seasons come and go, it's the natural cycle of this era. Sad as it may be, at the same time it is also reassuring."

"Reassuring?" The young Emiya tilted his head in confusion.

"It's a sign that the world is moving on, that it isn't stuck in constant stagnation."

It was a sign that things eventually changed.

That the cycle had an end it could reach.

Something 2B was unable to find in her existence no matter how hard she searched.

Once more Shirou found himself unsure of how he could keep up with this conversation.

"... Were the seasons different in your time?"

2B shook her head as she gazed at the sky. "There were no 'seasons', only one season. For the area that I operated in, it was stuck in a never ending summer."

The scorching broken pavements, the sand filled winds, and the scent of carcasses rotting under the intense heat. Those were the norm for her. 2B never cared much about it, for she kept telling herself that's how things were and it couldn't be helped, in the end it had no meaning towards her duty. Perhaps that's why she never considered what could've been, but her time in this era made her realize certain things, things that she had never even bothered concerning herself with before.

"I never saw the flowers bloom in the spring, the trees wither in autumn, or the snow fall in the winter." Her gaze slowly drifted to her hands, recalling the soft cherry blossom petals she felt the first time Shirou showed her the outside world. "Being able to bear witness to all of these new and foreign things around me is something that many of my kind desired so deeply, for they were lost to the current world we existed in."

In spite of saying that, there was a part of her that wasn't in full accord. She wasn't sure if it was also what she truly desired. Or if she even had the _right _to experience it in the first place.

_Alert! Unidentified energy signature detected!_

The androids train of thought was interrupted when the alert screen popped up in her mind. Her head snapped up with a swift and sudden motion, enough to make Shirou stop pushing the wheelchair and see what was wrong. 2B's focus was towards the source of the signature, her scanners indicating it far ahead to the left, but to her own confusion there didn't seem to be anything there that could act as the source.

No…

The readings she was receiving were odd, to say the least. The signals were numerous and close to each other, spread over a large area, the center of it being the strongest source, somewhat like a heat source.

"Shirou..." she called out to the boy who waited carefully next to her, pointing at the source she discovered. "What is that location?"

The young man took a moment and looked towards where his female companion pointed, a complex expression appearing on his face as he recognized the location. "... That's Fuyuki Central Park." In spite of his voice sounding off to the gynoid, Shirou resumed his walking, the two of them slowly reaching to the front of the park.

2B carefully observed the location, noticing how this area was different from the other ones she saw in this city, both in appearance and presence. The park that Shirou took her to see the cherry blossoms that day was clean and organized, people enjoying themselves within its perimeter. This one on the other hand appeared for a lack of better words, dead. Plants and weeds were growing horrendously all over the place, there were small random bumps in the earth, and many of them filled with dirty water. The color of the vegetation was also off, they had a somewhat grey tinge to it, making them appear as if they were sick.

But most notably, there was a lack of humans within it.

"The people seem to tread carefully around it." 2B remarked as she saw the multiple humans walking by it with looks of concern on their faces.

"I guess a lot of people have a reason to avoid it." Shirou muttered in a casual tone, but 2B felt there was something off once again about his voice.

"Why is that?"

"Paranoia perhaps?" The boy remarked a bit unsure about it himself. "But I think a lot of them do it out of grief."

"What do you mean by that?"

There was a long and heavy pause, in spite of Shirou upholding a calm expression all this time, his hands were clutching tightly around the wheelchair's handles. "Eight years or so ago there was a gas leak, a big one, and it all started here and spread into an unstoppable inferno." He explained flatly as he pointed to the very center of the park. "This place used to be a residential area filled with houses and buildings. They all were caught in the hell that rose from that gas leak, everything burnt to the ground… including the residents."

The former YoRHa agent took a moment to process everything the red haired boy told her.

"...I see." That was all she could say, she held no pity for those that died. Why _would_ she?

"Many people lost family and loved ones that night, many got hurt and were scarred both physically and mentally by what took place and-." static sounds raged in his mind, silencing him. Brief visions of fire and charred bodies flashed before his very eyes as he stared at the park, memories of that day jumping out at him. He blinked, everything was back as it was, yet his back felt damp with cold sweat. A heavy exhalation was let out as he tried to finish the sentence he started, yet forgot where he blacked out at. "... I guess a lot of people are reminded of the tragedy that occurred whenever they pass by this place, some not having the will to even set foot on the grounds." Shirou went on, and the more he spoke, the more 2B realized that something was not right, this wasn't how the red headed boy usually talked, something was definitely wrong with him whenever he spoke about what happened.

It bothered the female android to see her benefactor like this. She was probably overstepping her boundaries by what she was about to ask, but she had to know, if there might be any way to help him. "... Did you lose someone in the fire Shirou?"

He stopped for a brief second in his tracks, his eyes downcast. "... I don't remember."

It was strange... the answer was vague and lacked so much context, yet 2B instantly understood what Shirou meant.

_That_ was not an answer she expected from him.

She expected something she couldn't relate to, the loss of a home, perhaps of family or friends. Something she couldn't empathize with due to being a machine… and yet… what he said was something 2B experienced herself, numerous times.

She too had lost precious memories along the way.

Sadly she had no words of advice or encouragement for the boy. 2B bit the inside of her lower lip and held back any more questions or remarks. She didn't know why or how, but she had already done more than enough harm these past few minutes by inquiring more than she should. There was still much she wanted to inquire about this park, but it could wait for another time. The rest of the walk home was spent in silence, both of them refrained from saying anything more.

* * *

Fortunately, they arrived home without any further issues. Shirou had stashed all of the white haired androids shopping bags in her room, and decided to spend a little bit of time with his guest in the living room. Contemplating whether or not he should whip up something quick in the kitchen while he was at it. He paused when he looked to the living room and saw 2B seated at the small dinner table, calmly waiting for him. It appeared that while he was away his guest had gotten out of the wheelchair on her own and sat herself down.

This made the boy recall what he prepared for her the previous night. "Oh right, I almost forgot." Without any further elaboration, Shirou dashed out of the room like he was competing in a marathon. It was about a minute before the boy was back, and surprisingly for the Yorha agent, he was not empty handed.

"Here you go." The boy smiled as he handed her his latest creation. She held it forward and took a moment to study it.

"This is?" 2B tilted her head at the foreign object, it was mostly made out of wood, shaped like a stake with a handle prompted forward.

"Something I put together last night for you, it's called a crutch." he explained casually, but decided to further elaborate when he saw the still confused look present on her face. "Well you said that only one of your legs isn't working and I thought you might get bored constantly sitting in that wheelchair."

It wasn't that Shirou didn't enjoy pushing 2B around in the wheelchair, but he could tell she didn't enjoy sitting in one all day. Shirou didn't want 2B to strain herself but he wanted to make her feel better so he tried his best to come up with ways to do so. For some reason he thought making a crutch was a good start.

2B took a moment and thought about it, he was thinking about her and made this crutch as he called it, to help her even more than he already did. Truth be told she didn't like being a burden to the kind young man and was aware that pushing her around wasn't exactly an easy feat given her weight. With this new item, she could move around by her own will. In this way she could actually not be a complete liability to her benefactor.

In spite of not showing it via a smile, she felt rather warm inside by his gesture. "... That's very thoughtful of you."

Shirou most certainly did not feel his face burn hot from the compliment, nor did he have the time to linger on it since 2B decided to test out the crutch immediately. He positioned himself next to her in case she lost her balance.

It didn't take long for her to figure out how it worked and how she could handle it. The first few attempts as she took some steps were a bit awkward, but she quickly got the hang of it. By the end of the fifth step, she was making circles quite eagerly around the room. The gynoid was finding it difficult to suppress a smile, it wasn't full motor capacity, but it sure felt good to be out of the wheelchair and moving by her own will.

To think she actually missed walking around of all things.

It was such a curious feeling, yearning for such simple actions that she took for granted. Looking back, before she arrived in this era she would have most certainly never realized the weight of such mundane acts. 2B realized that she never understood these feelings when it truly mattered.

… When she was still with 9S.

"Watch out!" Shirou called out to her, the female android not realizing that the end of the crutch had slipped under the carpet, her balance lost and quickly heading towards the floor. 2B prepared herself for imminent collision but it never came. Much to her confusion, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her right before impact was made. A loud dull thump soon followed.

The white haired android tilted her head as the impact was surprisingly soft, looking down a frown soon formed on her face. Under her visor was the sight of the red haired youth underneath her.

"That was not necessary Shirou." Her voice was neutral, but deep down she didn't enjoy the situation, the idea of him hurting himself for her sake disgusted her. "Falling from such a meager height wouldn't so much as left a scratch on me, let alone cause me any sort of damage."

"... T-That doesn't mean I shouldn't try to prevent you from getting hurt does it?" He tried his best not to cringe in pain. While the fall itself wasn't that bad, 2B's rather noticeable weight made him feel like a filled to the brim metal drawer had fell on top of him.

_No… you shouldn't._

The young Emiya lifted his aching head and saw black, specifically the black of 2B's visor. The fall having caused the woman to land directly on him, her heavy yet very soft body pressing against his, their faces dangerously close to each other. There were two particular soft full mounds that were pressing against his chest, making his face explode in a deep shade of crimson despite the heavy weight he felt. A dry lump was swallowed as Shirou tried his best to speak up without squealing. "Y-You can g-get off me now."

2B blinked behind her visor and finally took notice of the positions they were currently in. Realizing that it must feel very uncomfortable for Shirou to be underneath her, the change of his skin color must certainly have been caused by the pressure being applied on his body.

Slowly the gynoid picked herself up and excused herself. "Apologies."

"I-It's no problem at all!" Shirou quickly picked himself up and tried desperately to hide his embarrassment, his mind racing as he tried to change the subject of the discussion. "W-W-Well I prepared the b-bath, so why d-don't you go in first?"

2B took a moment and processed that, slowly examining her body afterwards. "... Do you believe I require cleansing?"

Shirou further blushed in embarrassment, he didn't want to insinuate anything with that. "I d-didn't mean it like that, just that you never had the chance for a proper bath ever since you got here so I thought you might want one…"

Whether she wanted one or not felt besides the point.

The android took a moment and ran her hand through her hair, silently frowning at the traces of dust that fell out from it. Not only that but the oily feeling covering her hair strands was not pleasant either.

She sniffed her hand and tried to suppress her frown. "... It has been a rather long period."

With that the young Emiya led the way. "Then follow me."

* * *

"Shirou?" 2B called out to him as they reached the bathroom's hall.

"Yes? "

"Why is there so much steam there?" 2B inquired as she pointed out at the steam escaping beneath the door.

Once again the female android confused Shirou with her unusual questions. Not exactly sure what to say, he could only awkwardly answer her. "Uh, from the water?"

That she realized by herself, what she wanted to know was why was it like that. "Why would the water make steam?"

Shirou didn't want to insult anyone, but this conversation felt kind of dumb. "Because it's pretty hot?"

Now that was something she failed to see the point off. "You used hot water?"

The boy for one didn't know where this conversation was going anymore. "… Is there a problem with that?"

"It just seems like a waste to me…"

"A waste… what, do you usually take cold baths or something?" Shirou remarked in a rather sarcastic tone.

Much to his surprise, the white haired android actually nodded to this. "In a sense, we mostly used cold showers."

His left eye twitched once as he figured out what 2B's issue was. "So wait, you never took a warm bath before?"

"No."

Shirou did realize that 2B would probably leave him flabbergasted with some of the things she knew, her being an android from the future and all, but this wasn't one of the things he saw coming.

The whole notion of her never taking a hot bath put a halt to his thought processes. "I-isn't that… well… uncomfortable?"

"Not really, my body can endure temperatures far below the ones humans are capable of."

"… Haven't you ever wondered how a hot bath felt?" He couldn't help but ask her.

"Not particularly, no."

And then with that last remark from 2B, he reached his limit. Today was a long day. and he quite frankly was mentally exhausted. "… Just try the bath I prepared, tell me afterwards how it felt."

After a moment of thought, 2B saw nothing wrong with what she was told. It wasn't like there was any reason for her not to try it out, as it stood she required cleansing and it would be a waste of time to wait for the water to cool off. "Very well."

Shirou nodded tiredly and pointed at the nearby shelf. "You can leave your clothes in the basket over there, next to it you have towels and fresh clothes. You'll find everything else you'll need next to the bathtub."

"Understood."

"So, I'll just leave you at it." With everything said and done, the master of the house left her alone.

2B stood still for a minute as she stared at the now empty room. With a sigh she began removing her clothes and placing them in the basket as per Shirou's instructions. After picking her towels she opened the door to the main bathroom and stepped inside, leaving the door open for a few moments to let the excess steam dissipate. She spent a bit of time studying the bathroom, the room being quite simple in design and size. Its facilities were made for one person, quite different from the ones in the bunker used for groups. When she spotted the shower head she placed the towels aside and turned the tap on.

A deep breath was let out as the water began flowing over her synthetic body. It was strange how similar it was to the showers they had in the bunker, while its design and materials were radically different, the core function and way of utilizing it stayed the same. She could only guess that the advancement of cleaning facilities was the least of the concerns the humans of the future had as they tried to fight off an world ending pandemic. Whatever the case may be, she enjoyed the feeling of the water running on her body after such a long time. While personal hygiene was a must, she hadn't particularly concerned herself with it beyond the proper parameters.

As she listened to the sound of running water her steel blue eyes drifted to the side, slowly spotting the different bottles next to the shower. She crouched down and began reading the labels on them.

"Soap? Shampoo? Shower gel?" 2B muttered to herself as she further read. So many cleaning products, all of them with varying scents and aromas… was all of this really necessary for a simple washing?

At the bunker they only used cleansing powder, an odorless grainy substance to scrub away any dirt or impurities on their bodies.

These were different.

Aloe vera and mint?

With a shrug she began using the foreign substance, foam forming as she scrubbed it over her body and hair.

Huh… This was new.

Such a fresh and cooling effect it had, and she found it strangely entertaining to play with the foam. When she felt that every nook and cranny had been properly cleansed she washed all the impurities away.

As she stood there now clean, her eyes drifted at the bathtub. The one that Shirou prepared for her. Was there even a point to it now that she was no longer in need of cleansing?

…

Might as well give it a try.

Slowly she slipped into the water filled tub, making sure to be careful so as the water wouldn't go over the edge. A long strained sigh escaped her lips once she finally settled down.

Wow… who would have thought warm baths could feel so good?

It was most fortunate that her leg was reattached to its rightful place and all other cracks and fractures on her body had been properly sealed off. Last thing she wanted was to have water leak inside her body, that was always a pain to drain out later. Her eyes closed and she drifted away in her own thoughts. Time seemingly flowing differently as she was submerged in the water. When her blue orbs opened again she was surprised by the amount of time that had passed. She raised one of her arms up and let the water drip away, gazing at the now wrinkled skin on the tips of her fingers.

It was moments like these that 2B marveled but at the same time questioned those that designed both YoRHa and the androids as a whole. So much attention to the smallest details in order to emulate their so called 'gods'. It was no wonder that she couldn't tell a human apart from an android when she first met Shirou. She failed to understand why they even bothered to make them resemble humans to such a degree. It didn't make much sense from a utilitarian perspective.

A sigh escaped her lips, she probably spent enough time in here. Water poured everywhere as she stood up and slowly made her way to the towels. The female automaton paused in its path and looked at the curious object attached to the wall. She ran her hand over it to wipe away the condensation that formed on its surface and stared at it. 2B looked blankly at herself in the bathroom mirror.

The more she gazed at her soaked face the more she recalled the times Shirou would stare at her visor, like he was trying to see what was behind it. What was so important that he wanted to see them? What lay underneath was nothing, nothing but a pair of cold blue eyes.

"Huh…" she mused, it certainly has been a while since she saw them herself. Even back in her own time she so rarely got the chance to look at them, her old room lacked a mirror. Though now that she thought about it even if she would have had one, it wouldn't have made much difference. She very rarely ever took off her visor in the first place.

2B's fingers pressed against the mirror near where her eyes were reflected. Everything felt like it was moving so fast. She was in this era for months now, and only recently did she start coming into contact with the outside world.

The android spent years as a member of the YoRHa troops.

_Fighting._

_Destroying. _

_Mutilating._

_Murdering._

And all of it suddenly changed… changed to _this_.

Today… she… she actually had fun.

Going with Shirou, shopping the way they did, seeing new things, spending time together, and simply talking about things.

She enjoyed it…

It was so new and fresh, yet so confusing and terrifying.

2B didn't know why it was that she felt like this... was it because she had not the slightest clue of what she was supposed to do?

Maybe she felt that she didn't deserve to experience all of this? Or perhaps it was because she had to confront all of this by herself?

Still, as much doubt and confusion that was in her mind, there was one thing she was certain of without a doubt.

_She hated it._

Cracks spread across the mirror.

She stared at the result of her actions.

Unresponsive to her own broken reflection that reflected off of it.

The distorted image present in the web-like pattern was... fractured and broken… yet she found it oh so appropriate. Her body went rigid as she realized what had just happened. However, she was unable to compute why she did it. Something in her felt like it was getting colder. It wasn't there, something was missing that took away her sense of security. Her body rushed out of the bathroom, ignoring her current state of nudity she was in, the android couldn't care less about that.

She needed it.

Hands reaching for the clothes she left in the basket, quickly and violently tossing aside the ones that stood in her way. When she found it no more time was wasted and she yanked it out.

It was her visor.

"...Emotions are prohibited."

2B put her visor back on and the panic seemed to subside, her breathing slowly returning to a stable state.

"...Emotions are prohibited."

Her body felt weak, slowly sliding down on the floor with all the will and strength drained from her.

"...Emotions are prohibited."

She did not know why… or perhaps she was well aware of the source but chose to deny the truth.

"...Emotions are _prohibited_!"

The android simply sat on the cold floor unresponsive, stewing in her own misery.

* * *

Shirou was sitting in the living room sipping his tea in quiet contemplation. Grateful for the respite from today's earlier events and enjoying this moment of peace. The sound of the door opening broke him out of his thoughts as he saw 2B slowly stepping in with her crutch in hand. Then proceeded to make her way through the room, before taking a seat in front of Shirou.

Seconds turned into minutes as the two continued to stare at one another in awkward silence.

The red haired boy eventually poured his guest a cup of tea and 2B accepted it with a reluctant nod. Just like with eating, drinking had no real meaning to her, so she contemplated whether she should try it. While the liquid had a pleasant scent to it, it was the murky green color that she found peculiar. It took her awhile before she finally took a sip, her initial hesitation slowly fading as she continued to drink. She found the flavor of the beverage to be quite pleasant, having an almost relaxing effect to it, if she wasn't mistaken she heard Shirou call it green tea before. 2B found that drinking tea like this was surprisingly pleasant. It was all they did for a while, sit and drink tea in peace.

The two of them did not talk.

They simply stared at each other.

Though in Shirou's defense it was a bit difficult not to stare at 2B given how she had a towel draping over her head. It would have been quite the funny image for anyone else seeing it, sadly Shirou didn't have that luxury since he had other things to concern himself with, like how the person in front of him was doing.

"So…" the boy began trying to break the ice, from what he noticed, casual conversation when there wasn't anything important to talk about was a difficult thing to get over for both of them. As such, trying to make small talk was challenging for the young Emiya. "How was the bath?"

The android paused and contemplated for a bit. "It was…" the memory of her cracking the mirror playing in her mind, followed by her sudden breakdown. Her fingers tightened around the tea cup she held. "... Relaxing."

Shirou had missed the subtle reaction from his housemate and took it as she told it, giving her a small smile. "What did I tell you?"

"Yes… Yes you did." 2B replied, in a somewhat monotone voice.

This time, Shirou didn't miss the slight change in her tone. "Is something wrong?"

The YoRHa android felt small. She did not know why, but she felt very small at the moment in front of the boy and avoided eye contact. "...I had an incident in the bathroom."

Telling him this made her feel skittish while she was aware she didn't do anything of major concern. She still felt incredibly awkward about it and she didn't understand why. This made Shirou panic inwardly. "What happened? Did you get hurt?"

2B still avoided eye contact, which in hindsight did not make much sense as Shirou was unable to make eye contact with her in the first place due to her visor. "No… the mirror on the other hand is now broken."

A small sweat drop ran down the boy's face, feeling stupid for almost jumping up from his seat in a panic. "How did that happen?"

She didn't know how...

It just happened...

Without her consent…

It sickened her...

Her lips pressed together, trying to restrain herself from quivering. The words that came out were strained when she finally spoke. "...I wasn't careful enough with it."

Shirou moved his empty cup to his face and faked sipping from it; trying to hide the awkward expression he was certain he was most likely making from 2B. "Oh… well it's no big deal, it's just a mirror. It can always be replaced."

Replaced.

"Is that so…?" The gynoid muttered under her breath.

_Replaced._

Of course it was as such.

_Replaced..._

Objects can always be _replaced_.

_Always._

The towel on her head had slipped down, letting Shirou get a full view of her face. Her white hair was still wet on some ends and a bit messy here and there, but what made Shirou stare at her all this time was still wrapped around her eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" The boy muttered a bit skittishly, not very sure how he was supposed to approach this.

2B looked at him with her usual deadpan expression. "You already did."

He resisted the urge to facepalm. "No, I mean if you would mind answering a question I have."

"If it's within my knowledge." She nodded slightly.

"Well, the thing is, I never really looked behind that blindfold while repairing you, so I wouldn't know, but I just want to confirm… do you have eyes?"

Among the many things that 2B hypothesized Shirou might inquire from her, this was certainly not one of them. If she were brutally honest, the question sounded stupid to her. "...Yes."

Shirou gave a small nod, which was followed by about a minute of him awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to voice the real issue that kept nagging him. "Then… Could you show them to me?"

Unnoticed by both people in the room, 2B's hand made an involuntary twitch when she heard this. "...Why do you wish to see them?"

"J-Just curious how they look." his muttering probably didn't make him look good, but he was still curious.

The android nodded and reached for her visor, if he truly wanted to see her eyes she saw no reason to deny him, her fingers brushing against the fabric as she tried to grab hold of it but that was all that she could do.

Her fingers refused to go any further than that.

They… no, she refused to take it off.

_Not again._

The cold sensation she had in the bathroom was back. Threatening to consume her once again.

_Why…?_

She could face mechanical abominations that could easily destroy her and not even blink once. She could self-destruct if the mission or the situation called for it without wasting a moment's time with doubt. And yet… the notion of revealing her eyes to Shirou, it was making her formulate irrational decisions. The idea itself, for some inconceivable reason… completely terrified her.

"Well?" Shirou's voice was what broke her out of her daze.

A sense of dread and disgust filled within her, her teeth biting against the inside of her lower lip. The words being spoken by themselves. "... Is it an order?"

"Huh?" The red haired boy blinked in confusion at this.

2B's fingers tightened around the fabric of her visor, the action itself causing her breathing to go out of rhythm. "I'm asking if you are ordering me to show them to you."

Shirou didn't understand other people all that much, but even in his awkwardness in socializing he knew that what he asked was rubbing 2B the wrong way. In a panic he brought his hands up and tried to diffuse the situation. "What, no, no, it's just a request if anything."

"… Would it upset you if I refuse?" It infuriated her to even ask this in the first place, but a part of her was hoping that the boy will not go any further with this.

"No... it's your choice whether or not you want to show me." The moment her fingers let go of the fabric her breathing finally seemed to go back to proper levels. Yet, she still felt a sense of guilt due to her inability to comply with such a mundane task.

"I'm sorry." 2B didn't notice it due to her inner turmoil, but Shirou was perhaps feeling all the more guilty for causing this whole situation in the first place.

"Don't be… it was kinda out of the blue to begin with." Heavy silence stood above the two once more. Both of them felt bad for what they did or did not do. Shirou sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his nails digging strongly into his skin as they trailed across his scalp. He didn't want to cause her any more discomfort than he already did, but he had to know.

"2B?" The female android looked over at the boy and it gave her an unpleasant feeling. She did not enjoy seeing him so troubled. "Are you alright?"

Soft lips slowly parted, words finding it difficult to make their way out. "... I'm not sure."

"... Do you want to talk about it?"

"..." 2B remained silent.

"I see." The boy muttered after a couple of seconds of heavy silence. At this point everything just felt awkward between the two of them and he just wanted to change the subject. "I made dinner while you were in the bath, do you want some?"

The offer was so tempting, but her mind felt tired… She just felt so tired. "... Thank you, but that won't be necessary."

Slowly she turned around and began to make her way outside. "Goodnight Shirou."

All that Shirou could do was merely stare as she walked away. He didn't know why but he reached out for her, his hand going as if trying to grasp hers. It was so close, all he needed was just to push a little more and he would reach her.

And yet…

His hand stopped midway, content with staring idly at her as she walked away. Shirou didn't want her to go. Not like this, but he couldn't bring himself to stop her. "... Goodnight."

As the door was closed behind her heavy silence fell upon Shirou. He stood alone in the kitchen, watching over the set of plates he prepared. All hunger he had went away, and he just stared blankly at the food. Dishes and kitchen utensils shook and trembled as the boy punched the nearby wall in utter frustration.

Shirou was sure of it… 2B deep down was suffering so much and he had no idea what he could do to help her.

It frustrated him to no end.

What kind of hero did he dream of becoming if he couldn't even save a single person?

* * *

**Omake: An android in Chaldea**

"And this is our cafeteria." Ritsuka Fujimaru puffed her chest out proudly as she guided her newest servant around Chaldea together with Mashu.

2B scanned the room and was rather surprised by the number of people present, both the human staff and the other servants contracted with her master. "It's quite busy I see."

Ritsuka chuckled at this, every servant reacted this way when they saw the cafeteria for the first time. "I know, we got a couple of servants that are in charge of the kitchen and their food is amazing. The head chef's food in particular is the best I've ever had."

That was a prospect 2B was interested in hearing, the gynoid having developed somewhat of a hobby in trying out new dishes. "He must be an interesting person."

"Yeah, sure he acts tries to act all aloof, but he's a big softie underneath it all."

"Oh, there he is right there." Mashu pointed over at the white haired man that stepped out of the kitchen, a tray of desserts in his hands. "EMIYA-san!"

The moment she heard that name, 2B's features immediately steeled. "... EMIYA?"

Ritsuka did not notice the change in her new servants demeanor and kept gesturing to the tanned man to come over at them.

"Master if you're back for seconds you will have to wait until I finish the next batch of-" The man words were cut off when his steel grey eyes landed on the woman next to her master. His face turned stiff as he spoke once more. "Oh."

The YoRHa android took a couple of steps forward and stood right in front of Chaldea's head chef, looking at him straight in the eyes.

The two servants stared at each other in silence, the air around them growing heavy and cold, gathering the attention of the other people present in the cafeteria. All servants present in particular were aware something was about to go down, many of them readying their weapons in case things quickly went south and they had to intervene.

Other servants that were bored and content to simply watch were whispering bets among themselves to who would be the first to make a move and if clothes will be ripped. Mashu made a mental note to remind her senpai to punish Blackbeard later. For now both she and her master were far too busy and worried about what was about to take place here. Though 2B and EMIYA were contracted to her senpai, it didn't mean every servant would be instantly friends or ready to work together.

There were many times when servants who had a '_certain history_' with one another were summoned in Chaldea. Their meetings were always rocky if not outright violent. Such as how this current one was shaping up to be.

The white haired man eventually grew tired of having a staredown with the female android and decided to be the first one to break the ice. "2B."

"...EMIYA." she responded, her voice flat and neutral.

The silence once more resumed after the brief exchange but the tanned man could feel a hole getting glared in his head from the woman in front of him, not that he didn't blame her after everything that happened. He was certain this had no way of ending peacefully, but even so he tried to defuse the tension and minimize the damage. "So... even someone like you got summoned here, man this place sure is a servant menagerie."

"..." 2B was not amused, she simply kept staring at him.

EMIYA sighed tiredly and decided to get this over with. "... Are you doing something or-"

He was unable to finish the sentence as he was abruptly interrupted by 2B, or it was more precise to say by her hand. A loud crash was heard in the cafeteria as the white haired man was slapped into a nearby wall. His body slightly indenting itself against the wall, leaving an imprint on it.

The tray of desserts he was holding sadly wasn't spared and its contents were now all over the man. A few servants cried out in dismay at the sight, not for EMIYA but for the tasty morsels lost in the crossfire.

"... Guess I deserved that one." He remarked offhandedly as he wiped away the cream that was on his face, such a waste of good food, he thought to himself. EMIYA stared at the approaching female with a resigned expression that looked quite hilarious to most of the people around, due to the bits of cream all over his face and hair as well as the red handprint on his cheek. In spite of his rather poor state he decided to continue talking with the black clad servant. "Didn't take you for the kind to hold grudges."

"You deserve more than that for everything you did." 2B remarked with a sharpness in her voice, but the animosity she previously showed had mostly subsided. "However, you are still one of my masters current contracted servants, so I will let bygones be bygones." "

EMIYA wanted to make a remark about how hypocritical she was for saying that right after she smacked the living daylights out of him, but decided not to dig his grave any deeper. "I guess that's fair."

The female android decided that was enough… for now. She spun on her heels and walked back to her new master.

Said master, together with Mashu were smiling in a strained manner at her. "He, he, you good there 2B?"

There was a pause and she realized the show she just made, all eyes in the room were focused on her. This was probably not the best way to introduce herself to the other members of Chaldea. Though there were a few of them that seemed to have enjoyed what just happened.

Like a certain blue haired Lancer and golden Archer among them who were both laughing their asses off at the sight of Chaldea's resident smug chef getting manhandled like that.

"Yes, though I suppose that was rather impulsive of me." The YoRHa android bowed to her slightly. "Apologies for my behavior… also for ruining the wall, I promise to repair it later."

Ritsuka chuckled nervously, but it was more out of awkwardness than fear. "Well… it's not like you were the first to call out another servant they already knew." Honestly Ritsuka and Mashu had been through worse when dealing with other servants, some having extreme personal beef with others. Like how Lancelot (Berserker) goes on a rampage whenever he sees The King of Knights and anyone that has any bit of resemblance to said king.

Or how Minamoto no Raikou and Shuten Douji are at each other's throats whenever they are left alone in the same room.

Or how Tesla and Edison always end their arguments with a fist fight.

So yeah… this kind of stuff was almost an everyday event at Chaldea.

Awkward as the situation was now, Mashu being the ever reliable kouhai tried to remedy this by slightly changing the subject. "I was rather surprised by your display, you do seem like the reserved type."

Though in hindsight being stoic didn't mean much when there are people like Brynhilde around. Ritsuka could only hope 2B wouldn't go on a murder spree on anyone that resembled her old lover, if she had one that is, since the Chaldea master knew little to nothing about this new servant. One might have interpreted that remark as an insult but 2B did not see it as such. "Oh, I was very calm at the time."

Ritsuka stared at her with half closed eyes. "You slapped him in a wall and you call that being calm?"

The white haired android tilted her head slightly in thought as she spoke. "If I wasn't calm I would have stabbed him in the throat."

Mash and Ritsuka laughed while beads of sweat ran down their cheeks. "... You don't say."

The master and servant pair now realizing they just got another weird one on the team.

Yep, just another day at Chaldea.

EMIYA watched as his master and 2B left the cafeteria. A long tired sigh escaped his lips as he got up and took a look at his clothes. "Well, my apron is officially ruined."

Just as he was about to complain some more, a towel was pressed against his face. He gave a small thank you to the red haired woman that offered it to him. The smile she had clearly showed that while she was quite amused by what happened, her actions showed she also cared. Not like some other pricks in the cafeteria currently doubled over in laughter at his suffering. While he would endure either way, it was still nice to know someone was concerned about you. "... Old lover EMIYA-san?"

The man was silent for a minute as he got the cream out of his hair. "Sort of, well she wasn't mine precisely more like-" he stopped as he realized he was only further complicating himself. "You know what Boudica, forget it, it's complicated."

His self proclaimed sous chef chuckled lightly as she took a napkin and helped him clean off the rest of the cream and pasty bits on his face away. "I believe that's the general consensus for most of the servants present here." She remarked as her eyes drifted momentarily to a certain red Saber sitting at the Roman table. There was a brief moment in which Bodica's eyes hardened, but it didn't last, her features quickly softened and a cheeky smile soon formed on her lips, giving the now clean man a wink and a small nudge to his ribs. "Well, you better not damage those strong hands of yours, you will need them to help knead some tasty buns later."

The Wrought Iron Hero opened his mouth to comment about that remark but gave up on it at the last moment. Sometimes it was better to just go with the flow. "... Of course."

As the two chefs made their way back to the kitchen Boudica couldn't help but ponder about one question.

Just what did EMIYA do to garner such a reaction from Chaldea's newest servant?

* * *

**Author notes:**

It took a bit longer to get this chapter out so i made it a bit longer than the other to compensate.

So apparently 2B has a lot of mental baggage going on, who would have seen that one coming?

If you expected a full on fluff chapter, well let's just say that it's too early for that.

2B has a lot of stuff to deal with before she can actually be happy.

Like i said on different occasions i want to focus more on the inner struggle of the characters rather than the epic fight scenes and fan service.

Though Shirou does seem to be growing ever more fascinated by 2B's butt. Which is something i think a most of Nier Automata fans and NSFW artists can relate.

Well, that's about it for now, next chapter will probably be more of an exposition one so a heads up. Hope i wont make it too boring.

Also special shout out for Alex-Kellar, the man having delivered another incredible artwork of this story, reenacting one of the scenes from ch.2. So go and check his gallery over at Deviantart, i promise it will be worth the time.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review, I could use some constructive criticism.**


	9. Lingering Scars

It happened once more.

She strangled him, slowly crushing his throat as the marks of the logic virus spread across his body.

Glowing red eyes stared directly into her empty blue ones as the inner parts of his throat slowly cracked and shattered.

One final expression being frozen upon his features as he took his last breath.

_Why...?_

Humans were said to be made in God's image, and the androids were in turn made in the image of humanity.

_Why…?_

Both the gifts and flaws of mankind were imbued upon them in an attempt to come as close as possible to their image of their so-called 'gods' .

_Why…?_

The gift of emotion deeply intertwined with the curse of feeling pain. A perfect artificial union between the mind and body.

_Why…? _

2B just couldn't comprehend the balance between emotion and logic.

She knew 9S felt it, the pain of having his throat crushed, the consuming and torturous sensation of slowly suffocating to death.

_So why…?_

Why did he smile at her as she once again killed him?

There was no answer she could find.

None that could numb the stabbing pain she felt deep in her chest.

All she could do was scream as her duty came to end, knowing all too well that tomorrow she will be forced to repeat it all yet again as the cycle continued.

This battle against the machine life form Eve had been the toughest one to date for 2B and 9S. Eve's unrelenting fighting prowess, along with his ever fragmenting psyche, made him an opponent that could not be defeated with mere strategy alone.

However it did eventually come to an end, the tide of the battle shifting, the machine lifeform in at last being brought to its knees.

2B expected many possible responses from Eve as his final words. A sneer, swearing, an oath to kill her, or perhaps even just a cold glare.

Reality proved otherwise though as the machine lifeform displayed what 2B could only describe as true human emotion.

"_Brother..."_

In his final moments, in spite of having gone berserk, his sanity further crumbling during their fight, and his imminent death approaching. The machine never lost sight of one thing, of the one person he cared for more than anything else in this world.

And who's grief of loss made him want everything else to die.

For the briefest of moments 2B had actually hesitated. As much as it disgusted her to admit it, at a fundamental level, she actually felt sympathy for him.

Sadly, it did not change the facts.

He was an enemy, a threat.

All she could do was offer him a quick death.

Bitter as it may have been, this battle had been a critical one for YoRHa. 2B's victory was an accomplishment her commanding officer and fellow YoRHa soldiers will congratulate and praise her for.

Yet, was it truly worth all this pain?

For her sake 9S had hacked into the machine network in an attempt to weaken Eve and offer her assistance, despite knowing full well the risks involved and the price he may end up paying should things go wrong.

Yet what she feared the most had come to pass.

9S was infected by the logic virus… all because she was incapable of taking down Eve without his help.

There was only one course of action to do for any android diagnosed with the logic virus.

Immediate termination.

A task which she was forced to once again uphold.

This may not seem like much for some.

For an android the concept of death was meaningless.

As long as their back-up data within the bunker's existed it could always be uploaded to a new body.

The data was often updated upon the android's return from their missions on Earth, storing new information and experiences of the unit.

There were however exceptions when YoRHa agents were forbidden from uploading their data back at the bunker, virus infection being one such case, for they risked infecting the servers of the bunker.

That meant that this particular set of data would be lost before it could be added onto the back up one.

All of the memories, experiences, and feelings that 9S had experienced up until that point would be lost. Gone, as if they never even existed in the first place.

For 2B, there was nothing more painful than having those taken away. To want to talk to 9S about the times they spent together, only for him not being able to recall them.

Words alone could not describe how much this enraged her.

Some may wonder how things could have been if events had played out differently in this battle.

Countless 'what if's' would emerge, lingering in her mind as the possibilities filled her head.

_In a different timeline the android known as 9S would have managed to transfer his sense of self within the nearby machine lifeforms, thereby preserving his current self._

Sadly that is a different tale, one that 2B knew nothing of and instead faced with harsh reality.

9S was infected by the logic virus due to offering her support in the battle.

In the end he didn't make it in time and failed to back up his data before it was too late.

The current 'self' of 9S died once more, with no hope of preserving all of the memories they shared together.

Without his help she would have most certainly failed and perished in this battle… yet in the end 2B wished she had rather failed.

On the burnt grounds of that battlefield that day there was no joy of victory, only cries from 2B raging to the sky in despair, cradling once again the lifeless corpse of her partner.

Only to know that later, she will have to start over once again.

_This was it._

She had reached her breaking point.

_No more._

She will no longer let her emotions hurt her.

If being human meant shouldering all of this pain, then she had no intention of ever understanding them.

* * *

Darkness.

That was the first thing that came to 2B's mind when her eyes opened. Everywhere she looked lay nothing but an endless black void.

This didn't make any sense.

Her sensors were off and all attempts to contact her pod were fruitless. After further debating her next course of action, she decided on exploring the void.

The perception of time was unknown, inner displays of date and time had disappeared, nor could she access any form of recording. As such she could only wander aimlessly, whether the time passed was by minutes or hours she wasn't sure.

She eventually came to a halt, growing annoyed by this uneventful expedition.

Unknown to her however, a person was looming behind her. "Quite the gloomy place, don't you think?"

Blue eyes widened behind her visor, an all too familiar voice echoing within this void.

When she turned around to face him a complex series of emotions swirled within her, a mixture of happiness and shame, the name of the male android suddenly being difficult to speak. "9S…"

He was unchanged, her partner and closest person stood before her as if it was any other day at the bunker.

Yet the expression he had on his face made 2B feel as if something was wrong here.

"So you do remember me?" He spoke casually with a small smile but everything about it felt off. "I'm surprised... one would think that after spending so much time away would affect your memory banks."

That accusation felt like a sharp knife piercing her core, the idea itself making the gynoid hurt on the inside. "There's no way I could forget you Nines."

"Oh, do you now?" his head tilted as a condescending smile began to form. "Because the way I see things, you sure are trying to do so."

The aching within 2B's chest became more painful. "You're wrong, I would never do such a thing!"

"Stop lying to me 2B, to yourself." 9S dropped his smile and stared at her in pity, pointing to her back. "We both know that's not true… for if that is the case. Why are you doing it 2B?"

She gasped and turned around, only to see another familiar face together with them. "...Shirou."

He stood silently still and gazed at her, the usual kind smile he always had was gone and replaced by a neutral expression. His eyes seemed so vacant and uninterested, as if the very sight of her meant nothing to him.

Before 2B had noticed 9S had walked past her and stood next to Shirou, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was a very bizarre sight for the YoRHa android to see them side by side like this. It gave her a cold foreboding feeling as she felt the tension build. "Such a peculiar human he turned out to be. Though I can relate to him, always wearing a forced smile for your sake, going out of his way to try to make you smile just as I used to do."

In spite of everything that 9S said, Shirou had not reacted at all, his amber eyes fixed on 2B alone. Strangely enough, it made 9S chuckle at this. "It must be nice to find someone so easily to replace me."

"No!" She denied it with all her might, her body unable to stop itself from shaking. "I'm not trying to replace you with Shirou!"

How could he even think such a thing?

There was no way she was perceiving Shirou in any way as 9S's replacement.

It just couldn't be…

…

Could it?

While she denied the very idea of her trying to replace 9S with Shirou, there were still moments when she couldn't help but compare the human to her partner.

2B didn't give it too much thought before… but now it suddenly terrified her.

Was there a possibility that what this 9S said to her to be true?

"Of course you're not actively trying, but you still want it." 2B lifted her head and the two boys were no longer in front of her, quickly realizing that 9S was behind her as she heard his voice whisper in her ear. "I can tell just how much you want to [ ] him."

An ice cold feeling spread throughout her body, causing her legs to shake. Her sword, somehow now present in her hands.

The voice of 9S that she craved to hear once more all this time, turning into something twisted, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up.

"However you know oh so well, what will happen if you do that. After all... " 2B turned around with the intention to push him back but instead hit into something else. A hot liquid soon poured onto her hands as she gazed down at the source.

She froze in place.

The sword that she held was penetrating the chest of the person which stood behind her.

It wasn't 9S, no... he was sitting right next to the one she stabbed. Her former partner was leaning with his elbow onto him, an amused smile present as 2B stared into Shirou's lifeless eyes. The young redhead's blood continually dripped down her hands, a puddle forming at her very feet.

No words were said, the boy only gave the android a betrayed look of shock and confusion. Blood came from his mouth as he coughed and fell to his knees, the pool of blood splashed on 2B's heels upon his crash to the floor.

"Unlike me, humans don't come back once they are gone."

As 9S's words echoed within this dark void, 2B's senses returned to her.

She reached for her face and touched her cheek, hot blood getting spread on it from her bloody hands.

First came the shock and denial of what had happened.

Then was the grim realization of what she had done.

2B screamed in horror.

* * *

She screamed, her body springing up and slipped off the bed.

The sudden impact offering enough of a jolt for the Android to come back to her senses.

She took notice where she was, this was no void, it was the room that Shirou had provided her.

It wasn't real…

A strained exhale escaped her lips she picked herself up, crashing back on top of the bed, her hands pressed against her eyes.

"A nightmare…" such an unpleasant experience, the realistic perception intertwined with the lack of control within the things that she saw. "... I hate sleeping."

With a quick mental command the unit was summoned, it levitated in front of her. 2B was anything but glad to see it, especially since her current predicament was a byproduct of her pod's actions.

The white haired woman was quite pissed as she asked. "Pod, is it truly necessary for me to be asleep during this? "

"[Affirmative. Critical files within your archives have been disorganized upon arriving in this era.]" The pure AI cube elaborated, not bothered by the glare directed at it by it's partner. "[For a proper relocating of them, it requires for you to be in a state of unconsciousness.] "

The past week had been a rather mentally challenging time for her on an emotional level. Every single night she was forced to endure these recurring nightmares, each time the dream was different but they always ended up in the same way.

With her murdering Shirou.

All of this in turn has caused the relationship between her and Shirou to grow even more strained than it already was. The white haired android being forced to keep him at an arm's-length in spite of how this action seemed to affect him.

It certainly was a difficult situation considering how often Shirou always tried to help her. This did not go unnoticed by Fujimura Taiga as she came in to check on them almost everyday.

The older human female would always try to interrogate her, trying to find out if Shirou had done anything of an 'indecent' nature to her. 2B had no idea what she was referring to by that but she assured her that Shirou had been nothing but a great help to her.

Other than that the woman had been mostly easy to speak to, not bothering trying to find out any information that would reveal her true nature, preferring to ask more simple topics such as how she is adapting to living in this house together with Shirou or how she was feeling. After getting used to her current state of affairs, 2B decided it was time to recover her files.

Sadly, it did not spare her of the nightmares she would have at night while she did so.

Truly, she'd rather fight a battalion rampaging machines than go through this. "Can't you do that while I am offline?"

While her pod understood the logic behind the inconvenience of the situation, it couldn't do anything to help it. "[Negative. Many of the files in question are connected to your cognitive data-frame. They require your mental harmonics to still be active to a certain degree during the process. The human phenomenon known as 'dreaming' is the result of that state.]"

"I see…." 2B did see the meaning behind it, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it.

Being subjected to these realistic illusions was something she utterly despised. The YoRHa android was well aware of her mistakes and regretted them. There was no need to be constantly reminded of them like this.

She was already hurting enough as it is… did she truly deserve even more pain?

Her insides felt tight and hot, like something wanted to be thrown out of her.

An intense feeling of disgust washed over her.

"[Your mental harmonics were fluctuating violently while asleep.]" Pod 042 informed her, breaking her out of her thoughts. "[This unit must inquire if everything is alright?]"

"... No." she admitted with a sigh, not even bothering to try and make her pod understand. That would've been a waste of time, her pod in spite of being an android based being itself, was lacking the functions to experience 'emotions' the same way she did. All Pod 042 could do was give an objective answer, one based purely on calculated logic, and that wasn't the kind of answer she wanted right now. Whatever 2B needed, she was sure she wouldn't find in this room. "... I need some fresh air."

* * *

After putting on some clothes she began wandering the halls of the Emiya estate with her pod following in suit, her leg being almost back to full capacity. She still required the crutch that Shirou crafted for her, but her current condition was already better compared to how it was a week ago.

As she explored the dark halls of the estate the android couldn't help but wonder why Shirou even lived here. Its perimeter was quite large and the structure could easily house several people in it. It felt more akin to a base of operation than a house, yet Shirou lived here by himself alone.

It didn't really make sense to her, maintaining it by himself must be both time and energy consuming. In addition, from what she noticed, Shirou didn't seem to be a person that required much to function in his everyday life.

She slid the backyard door open and slowly stepped outside, the moonlight illuminating the surroundings in its dim light. Her stroll came to a halt, and she took a moment to gaze at the moon.

It was quite the peculiar experience, 2B had seen the moon several times from within the bunker, but this must have been the first time she ever saw it from the Earth's surface.

In space she never could see it this way, but from here there was a notable difference. From where she stood, the moon looked like it was glowing.

Dare she say it, it even appeared quite beautiful.

A shame its beauty was tarnished by the lies she was told about it. To the unknowing YoRHa android the moon was a symbol of humanity's resolve to survive, but to her it was nothing more than a cruel joke.

_Alert! Unidentified energy signature detected!_

2B's eyes widened behind her visor, the alert screens flashing in her mind.

"Again?" the android muttered in mild annoyance, this occurrence had taken place several times since she arrived to this era and each time she was unable to truly investigate it. Not tonight. "Pod locate the source of the signature before it vanishes."

"[Affirmative.]"

The tracking didn't face any sort of obstruction and Pod was able to quickly send a pinpoint location of the source to his partner. 2B took a moment and stared at the result, it was only a few meters away from her. "From there?"

She walked carefully and prepared herself, there was no telling what the nature of the source was, it was of utmost importance that she was combat ready. With extreme caution she slid the door of the shed to the side and examined the inside. There was a cyan light in the center of it illuminating the inside, and the one generating that light turned out to be a familiar red haired human. "Shirou?"

His eyes instantly snapped open and the light quickly vanished. Shirou was surprised at who it could be at this hour but let out a breath of relief when it saw that it was 2B.

"Oh, hey there 2B." He wiped away the sweat from his face, which didn't help much considering that he was soaked from the chest up. That aside, the young Emiya eyed the white haired beauty curiously as she stood at the entrance. "Did I wake you up by any chance?"

There was a pause and Shirou blinked in realization. "No wait, there's no way the noise here reaches that far in the house."

Sure he tends to make a lot of noise in here, but it couldn't be that bad.

2B simply shook her head. "No, I woke up by myself."

Shirou nodded, but his face slowly grew worried. "Bad dreams again?"

"..." Silence was her answer.

Yet, the lack of an answer was enough for the boy to understand. "I see…"

2B may not have realized it, but her housemate was well aware of the nightmares that have been haunting her this past week. It would have been impossible not to notice it given how loudly she would start screaming in her sleep, begging for forgiveness.

So many times he had stood before her door, contemplating whether to go in and try to comfort her, only for her to violently wake up with a horrified expression before he actually worked up the courage to do anything.

It frustrated him to no end.

He wanted to help her but didn't know how to go about it in spite of having dealt with similar problems himself for a long time.

His father was a huge help during those days, he recalled how he would brew him a special drink to help him sleep more peacefully when the nightmares wouldn't leave him alone.

Shirou did contemplate doing the same but he wasn't sure if it would even work on 2B given that she wasn't human. It also didn't help that he had no clue on what the recipe was for whatever Kiritsugu made him drink at those times either.

The inability to help her left the boy with a sour taste in his mouth as he clenched his fists.

Keeping a smile up in front of her had been a tad difficult lately because of it. "Well, it's kinda cold outside, so why don't you come in, it's warmer here."

2B nodded and stepped inside, even though she didn't mind the temperature. As she approached him her eyes proceeded to scan the room and couldn't help but comment on it. "... It's different. "

Shirou chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, kinda wanted to tidy up the place a little, move some of the stuff and make more space."

She hadn't been inside this place for that long, and yet it seemed vastly different compared to the time she used to live in it.

It wasn't a bad thing, it just felt… different.

Change was not one of the things she was accustomed to.

"I see." Her curiosity led her to further explore the room and she came to halt at a wooden support, more specifically at the object held in it. "... My sword."

Shirou felt a tad embarrassed when 2B brought up that subject. "I honestly didn't know where to put it, and didn't want to stash it away without your approval first. It is your weapon after all."

2B allowed herself a moment of contemplation as she picked up said weapon and partially removed it from its sheath, staring at her reflection in it's blade. From the many weapons she had utilized in battle, this was her first, the one she was assigned on the day she was 'born'. It led her through some tough battles, so by all means, she might think to feel a certain amount of attachment to it. Yet, that wasn't the case. "Yes it is, but if I'm perfectly honest, I'd rather not require the use of a weapon anymore."

The weapon in her hand had also ended 9S's life on several occasions.

It was tainted.

Just like her.

"Is that so…" Shirou muttered somewhat unsure, feeling like he might have touched upon a delicate subject. "Anyways it's still an incredible sword, I can't help but admire how beautiful it is."

"Is it really?" 2B found that notion curious if anything else, the idea that he could see it as 'beautiful' baffled the female android. "It's just a weapon, how can it be beautiful? "

_Like me. _

"Well, you're right technically, but you must also admit to the level of detail and work that was put into its craftsmanship." Shirou explained somewhat entranced, recalling as he studied the blade on some occasion, there was just something enticing about it, making him feel half tempted to set up a training dummy and test it out. "Katanas have always been a part of Japanese history and lore, many blacksmith striving to create something that was deadly yet still had a unique form of beauty to it."

When one took a moment and compared the a katana to other forms of swords in the world, katanas possessed a certain artisan charm to them with how they were designed and decorated.

From the color of the cord wrapped around the handle, the intricate forms and details within the handle guard, and the edge pattern present on the blade. The scabbard was also given careful attention, with lustrous coating and colorful cords tied around near the sheaths opening.

While some civilizations would choose to use valuable metals or gems to decorate certain weapons, the japanese took pride in the beautiful way of crafting the weapon itself.

Even many who weren't Japanese and hardly knew the intricate history behind the katana would learn to admire them due to their unique beauty.

2B, however, wasn't among them.

"I'm sorry, I just don't see the point." she admitted with a sigh, not sure what Shirou was seeing and what she was failing to see. "In the end does it really matter if a weapon is aesthetically pleasing when it has no relevance to its functions as a weapon?"

Killing is killing, whether you are getting killed by something beautiful or by something ugly, it's still killing. Weapons are forged for that purpose, to injure and kill.

"I guess that's fair, at the end of the day a weapon is still a weapon." Shirou sighed and cracked his neck, feeling stiff from so many hours of staying in the lotus position. "However, I think that's only the case if you only see it as just a weapon. Sometimes weapons can be used in ways they were never intended for."

The android tilted her head ever so slightly. "Such as?"

"Decorations… maybe?" Shirou mumbled to himself as he recalled often visiting Taiga's grandfather. "Some people go out of their way to buy weapons just because they think they look good in their office or living room."

Though to be fair, Shirou had to admit that in Fujimura Raiga's case, when you take a moment to consider his line of work, it might be a good precaution to keep a weapon close by. You never know when you might need it after all.

2B took a moment and thought about it. In the end she could only feel one way about what Shirou just said. "That seems odd."

Shirou chuckled as he hit on what he could only describe as a cultural barrier. "I guess… I'm sure a lot of blacksmiths never imagined that one day their works would be considered priceless and people would be gathering at museums to see them."

"I never thought about it that way…" with a nod she sheathed the sword and put it back on the wooden rack. Perhaps Shirou was right and setting it as a piece of decoration would be a better function for it than an executioner's tool.

At least that's what she told herself.

"Does your sword have a name?" 2B tilted her head at this question from the red haired boy. "Sorry, it's just that katana smiths usually name their works."

"Virtuous treaty. That is the name allocated to this weapon."

"That's a nice name." Shirou admitted with a smile, admiring the weapon from a distance. "Very fitting."

"... Perhaps." she muttered unsure.

"Do you know anything about it?"

With a mental command she opened a screen in her mind displaying the information she had about the weapon, while there was a substantial amount of data regarding its combat capabilities, its history as a weapon was rather lacking. "The information regarding its exact origin was lost, what I do know is that it was forged within this country."

"Figured it was, the design is clearly of Japanese descent."

"I see…" 2B gave a small nod as she explored the room once more, stumbling across a box with what one would normally assume was filled with scrap parts, but she knew better. "Machine remains…"

Shirou scratched the back of his head, the memory of him collecting all of them making him a tad embarrassed, hoping 2B didn't see him trip on one of them at the time. "Yeah… when I found you there I wasn't sure which parts belonged to you so I brought back everything I could find in that crater."

"I see, that was a wise decision." She admitted while picking up a bolt and scanning it. At first glance it appears like a regular piece of old scrap metal, but its molecular composition is foreign in nature, not a material native to this planet. "It would be problematic if these remains were found by random civilians."

Shirou didn't know all the facts involved, but in hindsight it probably would have raised questions as to what were robot shaped scrap parts doing in a crater. "Oh, right, that would be bad wouldn't it?"

2B made no other remark and continued looking around the machines, curiously wondering if there was still anything functioning among them. As she lifted one of the machine's ball-like heads a sense of dread filled her body, a cold sensation creeping on her back as she saw what was hidden beneath.

Her hands trembled as she picked it up. It was completely different from all the other remains here, clean and human modeled, clothed in black and white.

Just like her own hand, but a tad smaller in size.

"... 9S" 2B whispered bitterly as she recalled her last moments with her partner before she was sent here. How 9S tried so desperately with this very hand to reach out and save her.

The gynoid wished she could delude herself.

That since a piece of 9S was here perhaps he was here as well.

How she wished that was the case, but she knew the truth.

Everything that was within her vicinity upon the moment of the surge was right here. She alone was the only YoRHa, no, the only android currently existing in this era. She spent many hours searching for any signals of her fellow AI life forms, yet none would show up on her sensors besides her own.

To some, seeing a remnant of their old friend might spark some form of hope in them.

But that wasn't the case for 2B.

This was just a grim reminder of her own failures and shortcomings.

2B felt like something sharp and cold was clawing in her chest.

At an impulse she shoved the severed hand back where she found it, burying it beneath the many machine parts. Realization hit her and she quickly looked over at Shirou, who fortunately appeared to be busy sorting through various materials and didn't see her panicked reaction.

Her mind felt like it was starting to lag, her concentration losing its potency. Stumbling upon 9S's hand has had an impact with unprecedented effects on her. She had to ignore it, not think of it, occupy herself with something else to distract herself.

Before 2B knew it her eyes landed on the many pieces of junk near her savior. "... Shirou, what were you even doing here at this hour?"

Shirou broke out of his little action of sorting parts and shifted his focus back to 2B. "Practicing my magecraft, I've been skipping doing so the past months and I need to make up for lost time."

There it was again, that one word that she had no information of. "Magecraft you say…"

"Yeah, I usually did it here but after you came along I didn't have the time to do it the proper way." He admitted as he recalled the many nights he spent with 2B in this shed, trying his best to make her work again. A small realization dawning on the boy. "Though, I guess I was still practicing my structural grasping when I was repairing you. Now that I think about it, using it on you was probably better than what I usually do considering how much concentration I had to muster."

Her structure was so complex that he had to go over each individual piece, otherwise it felt like he would suffer a seizure. By the end of each repair session his shirt would be completely soaked in sweat.

It was somewhat different compared to his regular training regime, but it was still good practice nonetheless now that he thought about it.

2B slowly made her way and sat down right in front of Shirou. Perhaps she will finally get some answers regarding this mysterious term. "Shirou, care to explain what magecraft is exactly?"

"You don't know what it is?" The boy blinked in confusion, he was pretty sure 2B was aware of it herself, believing she was some kind of hybrid creation of magecraft and science since he doubted regular science alone was advanced enough to create androids like in those sci-fi movies. Now this felt awkward for him, not sure if he is even supposed to explain to her what it is, but she did see him utilize magecraft as he repaired her so that cat was probably out of the bag. At this point he might as well come clean and explain everything, except he didn't really know how to do that. "Well, I guess it's kinda like a form of magical science?"

That wasn't by any means the entire explanation to it, but it was the closest term Shirou could come up with that 2B would understand.

That was what Shirou attempted to do anyway, but it didn't solve the android's dilemma. "So it's what you define as 'magic'?"

The red haired boy rubbed the back of his head and thought about it for a moment. "Not really, from what I get magecraft and magic aren't really the same thing."

"What is the difference?"

A sigh escaped his lips as he tried to recall his lessons with his father but failed to remember anything relevant. "I'm not all too clear on the specifics to be honest, dad barely taught me the basics for magecraft as it is and I've mostly had to figure it out myself."

Getting Kiritsugu to teach him in the first place was already a challenge in itself. It took Shirou a while to convince the old man and even when he finally succeeded he could tell that the lessons they were doing were done reluctantly.

Then again, Kiritsugu did warn him that practicing magecraft could cost him dearly at the slightest misstep. So Shirou believed that perhaps he was reluctant to teach him because he didn't want him to get hurt.

2B pondered on this for a minute and weighed her options, it was clear that Shirou seemed to have a lack of understanding on the matter himself, so while she may not get detailed data, she should proceed and find out as much as she can and draw her own conclusions at the end of it. "Then this 'magecraft' that you are practicing, what is its purpose exactly?"

Shirou took a moment and thought about it, in a broad sense magecraft didn't really have a fixed purpose so to say, it all came down to what each person did with it personally. Kiritsugu did mention once or twice about a root or something, but he didn't really get what trees had to do with anything.

It eventually made him feel a tad embarrassed to admit this. "Well, truth be told I'm not that talented at it and I don't know that many spells, so I don't have much of an answer to give."

Honest and true as that may have been, it didn't stop Shirou from trying to help sate the mechanical beauty's curiosity.

He closed his eyes and hummed for a bit, trying to find the right words to describe it. "While I don't know much about the purpose itself, at its core you more or less you are supposed to create magical energy or prana as I think it's also called, and use it on whatever spell you know, which can vary."

So it was the creation and utilization of an energy source. That was a concept 2B understood and could see the reason as she performed similarly in combat. The latter part though made her ponder. "You mentioned spells, what can these spells achieve?"

"Like I said it varies depending on each spell." Shirou sighed in mild annoyance, one directed at his own lack of knowledge. His eyes drifted at the many pieces of scrap around him until he picked up a wooden stick, holding it in front of 2B. "What I'm doing right now for instance is called reinforcement. In simple terms I make certain aspects of an object stronger. For instance I can make a rock harder, a blade sharper, or maybe a lightbulb glow brighter."

The spell was rather simple in context but it was handy if done right. Which was what he wanted to show the android. He closed his eyes and focused, visualizing the inner design of the stick.

"Kinda like this." Neon green lights manifested on his arm and made their way towards the stick. "Trace on!"

He could see them, the spiritual gaps within the stick were getting filled with his prana, enhancing its properties.

Things were surprisingly going smoothly, the pain was also still within bearable parameters so he continued feeling lucky tonight.

Just as he was about to finish the spell, the boy felt like something snapped in his arm. "Gahh!"

The stick exploded the very next moment, fragments of wood getting scattered all over the place.

"Shirou!" 2B rushed to the boy's side as he seemed to struggle in pain.

The boy groaned and kept squeezing on his aching limb, a sensation akin to a knife scraping away the flesh from his bones was raging inside his arm. When the pain finally became bearable he spoke with a tired and dejected tone, feeling more annoyed by the fact that he messed up in front in 2B rather than the pain he was experiencing. "I-I'm fine, I'm fine, just another failure."

2B was taken aback and didn't know what to make of what just occurred. "What happened?"

Shirou took a moment until his arm stopped aching, sighing when he finally began explaining.

"Things tend to break when I mess up this spell." The boy admitted in embarrassment. "Each object has a limit to how much I can reinforce them, if I go beyond that limit they tend to break like this."

It was like this all the time. He could reinforce objects somewhat, but it tended to end with them blowing up like the stick just did, and when he did manage to successfully reinforce something it was hardly what he expected the result to be.

Shirou recalled how his dad demonstrated it to him the first time, making a sheet of paper durable like a sheet of steel.

The most he could in comparison was make it maybe a couple of times more durable, and it hardly compared.

2B processed this information and did not like what she heard. "Tend to… how often does it fail?"

He rubbed the back of his head and avoided looking at her. "Most of the time… like I said, I'm not really good at it."

This revelation caused the YoRHa android to worry.

From the way Shirou reacted it was quite a painful experience, the notion that it was something that occurred often was very concerning. There was one question that truly bothered her. "For how long have you been practicing these spells you know?"

"...Give or take 8 years?." The youth replied after a few moments of pondering.

"That long…?" The gynoid didn't enjoy hearing that answer. It made no sense to her from a logical point of view. If what she saw was the most frequent occurrence, there was no telling what sort of pain and damage Shirou had been subjecting himself to over the years. She too could perceive physical pain like a human was capable of, for it is imperative to understand one's own condition, revealing when something is broken or when something is amiss with the body. Pain was not an occurrence meant to be experienced so often, for it could lead to irreparable damage and 2B did not want to see the boy suffering. "Then why do you continue to practice it?"

"It's pretty much all I got." The redhead sighed, swinging his arm around a couple of times, the pain mostly gone by now. "Like I said, my dad wasn't much of a teacher and he didn't get to teach me all that much. I was pretty much left with only three spells to practice and master."

This had been going on for almost every day ever since he was taught.

Spending hours upon hours of practicing these spells till late in the night, facing the pain and frustration that came with the repeated failure of mastering them. They were basic and yet he was still unable to properly utilize them.

Structural Grasping, Reinforcement, and Gradation Air.

Those were all he had.

Out of all of them structural grasping was the one spell he could actually say he was well versed in. For the other two, ninety-five percent of the time resulted in failure.

There were many times when he considered giving up, the times when the pain would make him squirm on the ground like a decapitated chicken or felt like a hot iron poker was shoved down his spine..

He could have given up easily, stopped trying, and no one would have blamed him.

Sadly he didn't have the luxury of having that option.

His dream, the promise to his father, if he had any intention of living up to them at all then he had to get strong.

_No matter what._

2B tried to look at this from a human perspective, unlike androids who were able download information from stored data banks, humans had to manually 'learn' such information by themselves.

From the day of her activation 2B had all the knowledge she required to perform her duties, never requiring the necessity to accumulate information by herself.

Her battle skills were no different, the result of carefully calculated analysis and simulation.

She was born as a weapon, she didn't have to train herself into one.

If there was anything remotely similar it was the inclusion of plug-in chips. External sources of data often used to add new battle oriented abilities in her arsenal.

That being said, 2B had to wonder if there wasn't a more 'humane' way for Shirou to acquire the knowledge he desired. "Why haven't you sought out someone else to teach you then?"

"Didn't really know anyone that could do that to be honest." Shirou sighed and felt like a deer caught in the headlights. The idea itself was quite simple and had its merits, but it didn't stand up in this case. "Mages aren't the friendliest bunch from what I hear and even more so when it comes to teaching others. So I doubt anyone would have taught me even if I knew where to find one. Magecraft is supposed to be kept secret so I couldn't really make an announcement in the newspapers that I was looking for someone to teach me."

Kiritsugu mentioned to him on several occasions that mages hold onto their research by the teeth if they had to, and would readily kill anyone if the alternative meant that their research would fall into another's hands.

This notion truly disgusted Shirou and made him actually glad he didn't have to work with such horrible people.

Still, the idea itself wasn't so bad if he had a chance to go through with it.

Well, mopping over it wouldn't get him anywhere so he'd better try to figure out something else. The boy tried to pick himself up but stumbled as the pain relapsed.

Fortunately, he managed to land on his knee and not crash into the ground like a dummy. Still, it didn't help with the gnawing pain he felt.

2B had been silently watching all of this and her patience finally reached its limit.

"You should rest." She whispered softly as she offered the boy support, her hands flinching right before making physical contact with him. Before Shirou could say anything 2B had sat down next to him, pulling him closer to her, sitting his head on top of her lap. As 2B held him, she felt how the boy's arm was constantly shaking and twitching. While the YoRHa android didn't know the intricacies of human anatomy, she knew this wasn't a good sign. "There's so much tension in your body." She looked over him in concern unbeknownst that a very different thought was going through the young male's head.

_Lap pillow!_

Shirou on his part was completely out of synch for a minute, his face exploding in a deep red color as he realized the current position he was finding himself in. "I-It's fine, I can s-stand by myself and-"

"Please, rest."

The way she spoke wasn't in any form like an order, just a soft request. But it was the way her voice sounded that he couldn't find the will to say no, feeling that if he did so would hurt her. Shirou was very embarrassed at the moment and felt like his body was just shoved into a sauna, but he just couldn't refuse her. "... Okay."

The following minutes were spent in silence. Neither Shirou or 2B said anything as they sat together on the ground.

While it didn't bother 2B by any means, it made Shirou feel extremely uncomfortable just sitting there on her lap while staring at her unchanging expression.

It didn't help that 2B was currently wearing a small and tight pair of cotton shorts, which made it so Shirou was able to feel the softness and warmth of her thighs.

He had to talk, any subject would be good, to make this situation less awkward. "So… uh… how are the living conditions?"

"They are rather… quaint, if I may say so." She admitted after pausing to think a bit, they were certainly different from the ones she was used to but strangely pleasant in spite of being quite primitive.

Shirou nodded and tried to think of anything else that involved his metallic guest. "Has Fuji-nee been bothering you by any chance?"

"Not specifically, but she does seem to keep a close eye on me whenever she visits." 2B pondered and noticed that Fujimura Taiga had a certain pattern when it came to her visits, the woman always arriving around the hour that Shirou was preparing food.

Shirou for one felt like he wanted to rub the bridge of his nose if only his arm would let him. Great, just great, classic Fuji-nee, like he didn't have enough on his plate as it is. "Sorry, she can be a bit of a handle at times."

Much to Shirou's surprise the android shook her head. "Not at all, a foreign element which she has no prior information about suddenly started cohabiting with her ward. She has all the reason to be cautious regarding my presence and the reasoning as to why I am here, in fact it would be highly irresponsible of her not to do so."

"I see…" Shirou blinked a couple of times at that sound logic, which he had a hard time sort of linking to his Fuji-nee. With the risk of insulting her, between the two of them oftentimes it felt like he was the responsible adult in their relationship.

Before he could say anything else 2B tilted her head curiously to the side. Her hands soon made their way to his head, her soft fingers brushing through his auburn locks. "You have wood fragments in your hair."

"D-Do I?" He half stuttered, unsure of what was happening.

"Most certainly from when the wood shattered." She remarked and Shirou recalled how the stick exploded and pieces got sent flying everywhere. "Please sit still, I will remove them."

"Y-You don't have to, I can do that later."

However, 2B wasn't taking no for an answer. "I insist."

The boy, unable to refuse the female humanoid, meekly complied . "O-Okay."

With that the white haired beauty proceeded to get rid of all wood fragments, while making sure to not pull any of the boys hair along with them. 2B couldn't help but notice how similar Shirou's hair felt to her own, in spite of hers being made out of artificial fibers.

Shirou in contrast was feeling his fair share of emotions on his end. All the awkwardness and embarrassment aside, he couldn't help but notice something new with this situation.

It was oddly pleasant.

Sitting like this, with 2B playing with his hair, had an unusual smoothing effect on him. He wasn't sure if it was just because of 2B specifically, but all the pain was gone and he was feeling incredibly relaxed instead.

Before the boy knew it, his eyes became heavy and closed them.

By the time 2B was finished. she finally noticed how awfully silent Shirou was. "He fell asleep."

Looking down 2B continued watching over the boy as her pod levitated behind her, the AI having made its way through the shed's open window. "[Recordings show it has been approximately twenty hours since his last resting period.]"

"That long…" 2B muttered quietly concerned about this, humans aren't supposed to stay awake that long without sleeping. It made her feel deep a worry for her benefactor. "He really pushes himself hard… such a fool."

What was the point of all of this?

Pod 042 flew and made its way in front of 2B, one of its small arms pointed at the young Emiya. "[Inquirement: Do you wish to register the energy source utilized by Shirou Emiya as 'prana'?]"

"Please do." 2B didn't bother to question how her pod knew that, realizing that it must have been listening to her conversation with Shirou the entire time. She wasn't bothered by that, in fact it helped her not waste time relaying the information back to it. "While you are at it run a diagnostic on it and compare it to all other energy sources we have any records of."

It would be most efficient if she could categorize any new energy sources she finds in this era for later usage. 2B for one found it quite annoying to receive frequent alarms of things she had no prior data on.

"[Affirmative.]" The AI was silent for the following minutes as the analysis was underway. "[Diagnostics results are being transferred over to you.]"

2B focused and viewed the results in her mind, her lips becoming a thin line as she finished.

"This has to be a mistake." her tone certain, but what she saw went against the information she possessed until this point. "Pod redo the analysis."

"[Negative. This unit has already performed analysis three times on the data before sending it, the results are conclusive.]"

This information didn't help, it only made 2B further confused. "Then the 'prana' Shirou uses for his magecraft and the energy that the YoRHa use in combat are one and the same?"

"[Affirmative.]"

How could this be, the presence she felt from it was different from the ones she and the other android generated. "I don't understand, how can it be the same energy source if our scanners listed it as an unidentified one?"

"[The diagrams present them identical at its core but there are varying factors.]" Her Pod began detailing the information as it projected two virtual screens in front of her. At first glance both looked overall the same, the images of a pair of lines merging together in a double helix. However the one on the right had something extra compared to it compared to the other, on one of its lines there seemed to be something spread across it, resembling small reddish dots. "[The energy source we utilize for our special combat abilities has the presence of a third element within its composition, that makes it stand apart from the energy generated by Shirou Emiya.]"

Her eyes narrowed behind her visor. "Which is?"

"[Maso particles.]" The pod stated as it zoomed on the reddish spot on the hologram. "[The maso particles have bonded to the planet's natural mana source and became one with it, slightly altering its properties.]"

"Wait, it was stated that all traces of infectious maso particles were confirmed purged from the world."

"[Confirmed. That is the official statement in our records.]" The AI turned off the holograms. "[All 'infectious maso particles'. This unit speculates that with time a majority of the maso particles have acclimated themselves to our world, no longer causing white chlorination syndrome and only the particles that still triggered it were purged.]"

2B took a moment to contemplate this, while it did sound rather far-fetched, it did make sense from a certain point of view. However if these facts were true, it led to new questions needing to be answered. "If they are the same why didn't they also share the same name?"

In her era it was simply called 'magical energy', not prana, but why was it so if they were at their core the same energy albeit slightly different in their composition.

"[There is a high probability that terms and names for different phenomenons have simply changed as time progressed, the meaning of certain words being lost while others took their place.]" Her pod deduced after a minute of contemplating. "[The year gap between this era and ours is almost 10,000 years after all.] "

2B took a moment and thought about it, it was actually a valid point. "So all this time we have been using magecraft in battle without even knowing it." a frown formed behind her visor. "I'm not sure how to feel about this... "

"[2B, this unit must inquire about an inconsistent statement.]" Pod 042 spoke as it lowered itself to her eye level. "[You have previously declared that you do not believe in magic, which is an error considering that many of our combat abilities have concrete magical theory at base, furthermore you did not deny any of Shirou Emiya's statements regarding magecraft. Why is it so?]"

So that was the problem.

2B for one couldn't blame her pod for asking this considering how she displayed clear disdain against the notion of magic whenever it was brought up.

"I do not deny the existence of magic itself Pod." 2B explained after a long tired sigh. "What I deny is the idea behind it."

"[The idea?]" Pod 042 would have tilted its head at this if it possessed that capacity. "[Requiring further elaboration.]"

"Magic in essence is said to be a miracle, a powerful force that cannot be defined by simple logic." Her features hardened as she went on. "That is what I deny about it. The idea that there is some sort of unexplained miracle in this world. Something that simply happens without our capacity to truly understand or explain it."

2B's hands balled into fists from the frustration. She believed in knowledge, in facts, in palpable occurrences, and in things that could be explained through logic. The idea of something like 'magic', a concept that she cannot comprehend at a physical or theoretical level was what the android couldn't accept.

If 2B were to search for an example, it was close to the human concept of an atheist. Humanity having tried to prove the existence of a one true 'God'. Many people blindly accept this notion without further question, while many others deny such an existence for there was no 'physical' proof in this world.

"The idea of miracles is what I deny." 2B stated as she stared at Shirou's sleeping form in her lap. A complicated emotion she couldn't describe lingering within her. "No miracles ever took place in our time, in spite of our world desperately needing one."

Perhaps it was her simply being bitter about it. If miracles truly existed but never were used when it mattered, then she had reason to have such feelings regarding it.

"[...]" Her pod was silent, trying to analyse this explanation, an attempt to comprehend the logic behind 2B's words. "[Is the current situation we find ourselves in not something that can be classified a 'miracle'?]"

There was a brief pause and her lips quivered.

"... If it were truly a miracle, I wouldn't be experiencing these emotions." The YoRHa android remarked as one of her hands pressed on her chest. "Miracle is a word that is usually associated with something positive."

Was _this_ truly a miracle?

While she can't deny that there were many times when she marveled at seeing the lost world of mankind, it didn't ease the pain she felt.

The scales were always out of balance for her.

She was unable to find the strength to truly smile, in spite of wanting to return the smiles she kept receiving from Shirou.

"Look at him." She pointed at Shirou in mild annoyance, not at him specifically but the situation he was finding himself in at the moment. "I do not believe that falling asleep here is healthy for humans."

Her fingers reached for his disheveled bangs and softly brushed them to the side.

"No matter how hard I try I simply can't see the reasoning behind his actions." The gynoid admitted in mild frustration, unable to comprehend what was the point of him trying so hard to help her, when he demanded nothing in return. Strangely, in spite of it being a good trait, 2B didn't enjoy that aspect of him, all the more so when she was unable to see the logic behind it. "He's just like 9S sometimes… that naive yet bright nature… covering something more complex beneath it… Perhaps even something dark…"

She froze mid-speech and felt the world around her turn dark and cold. A clawing feeling raging within her as if something was trying to rip its way outside.

Before 2B even realized it, her hand had slipped down towards Shirou's throat, her fingers a mere step away from latching onto it and another step away from crushing it.

"N-No… " She voice quaked with denial and fear.

Not this... she didn't intend for any of this to happen.

All she was doing was playing with his hair, but the very moment her focus drifted her body acted by itself and tried to do something she could never take back.

Her hands wrapped around her head, a pounding sensation rushing through it, growing stronger the more she tried to contain it. The image of a mirror appearing in her mind.

Breathing going out of control, nails digging themselves into her head.

_Cracks spread in the mirror. _

Pod 042 was bombarded by the many alarms he was receiving, the status of his allocated partner growing more and more erratic. "[2B, your mental harmonics are going out of control. You have to stabilize your emotions.]"

The parameters he was receiving were off the charts, the destabilization of her emotions was even more chaotic than the infection with the logic virus.

And to make matters worse this was a self-inflicted state.

Unlike the logic virus, he had no protocol of how to combat this occurrence.

Pod 042 was rushing through its archives to find anything of relevance that could help, but no results were yielding.

With the way his partners' harmonics were spiking and no solutions were yet discovered, the AI began considering the emergency shut down of unit 2B to prevent permanent malfunction.

It was too late.

_The mirror shattered. _

2B's hands fell limply to her sides, a cold and detached expression taking over as she finally spoke. "... I had enough."

This was it.

She finally reached her limit.

Pod 042 momentarily lagged as 2B's harmonics all suddenly went back to stable levels. This wasn't right, one did not simply shift from such a chaotic state to flat lines… unless something 'very' wrong had just occurred. "[2B, this unit must request you to-]"

At this point 2B didn't bother to listen to what her pod had to say. "Pod 042, implementing protocol 527, all rights to control and ownership of the unit will be henceforth transferred to the human Shirou Emiya."

If the AI box had eyes, they would have gone wide in shock, that protocol was implemented only in combat, specifically in dire situations when the assigned owner was unable to guarantee their survival. "[Negative. This directive cannot be implemented until-]"

2B was aware of that all too well, but she didn't care. "Denied, overwrite protocol 648, the order shall be implemented at once."

Pod 042 went silent as the emergency protocol overwrote his debate and consulting rights. Forcing it to abide by the order in spite of how it went against all previously implemented rules and regulations.

"[... Understood.]" It muttered in its usual flat tone, but there was a small reluctance in it that 2B was unable to notice in her current state. "[Transfer finalized.]"

Slowly the white haired android moved aside Shirou's sleeping form and stood up. She may no longer need her pod, but perhaps Shirou would find some use for him, more than she did.

"If Shirou wakes up, do not allow him to follow me. " The YoRHa soldier gave one last order before she turned tail and made her way out of the shed. "Goodbye Pod… on behalf of the YoRHa I thank you for your service."

Her pod did not reply, it simply observed in silence.

Good, it was better this way.

2B took a moment at the door frame and looked at her benefactor one last time. Her lips quivered as the words forced their way out, the act of speaking suddenly feeling like it was the hardest action she had ever made. "Goodbye Shirou…and forgive me."

The door closed and she left.

It was wrong.

This could be the worst possible decision she ever made, one that will without a doubt hurt Shirou, but she had no choice.

Her existence around him was akin to a ticking time bomb. It all came down to how long it took before she lost all control and did something she could never take back.

"_Unlike me, humans don't come back once they are gone."_

That was the one thing she couldn't accept.

2B had only _one_ choice left to her.

* * *

Shirou shifted in his sleep and curled around feeling a bit cold, still half asleep he reached out for his blanket. Strangely when his hand grabbed onto something most certainly not his blanket, he cupped the foreign object a couple of times and remarked that it was hard and cold.

When he half cracked an eye he saw a small light around his extended hand. Before he could say or do anything, the light touched his hand.

The very next moment the boy jumped up and screamed, hitting the nearby wall in the process. Now fully awake and in pain the boy roared. "W-What the hell was that?!"

"[An electrical discharge of low voltage.]" Pod 042 stated as a matter of fact, retracting the small appendage Shirou was previously touching.

The red haired (slightly singed) boy's jaw dropped as he realized what the small box like machine did to him. "You shocked me?!"

"[Affirmative.]" the pod admitted without any hint of shame or remorse on the matter. "[This unit requires assistance and you were not responding to audio stimulants.]"

"Assistance in what?" He blinked a couple of times, not understanding what it could need his help with, and not 2B. His eyes went wide as realization hit him, looking all around the room, finally noticing that he was all alone. "Wait… where's 2B?"

Last thing he remembered she was right next to him, holding his head in her lap. While Shirou could understand 2B leaving, her pod wouldn't be here if that was the case. The small, box-like android was always with her, with the exception when she ordered it to stay hidden in her room. Pod 042 had no reason to be here without her otherwise.

A foreboding feeling began forming in the pit of Shirou's stomach, the sweat on his back going cold. Something was wrong, he could feel it in his bones. "Pod where's 2B?"

The YoRHa pod was silent at first. Unsure of how to transmit its theory without causing a panic within the human. The current set of facts after all are only theories it concluded in response to 2B's previous behavior and the diagrams of her mental state.

They were not 100% accurate, and it might very well be wrong. But the risk involved if the calculations turned out true could not be overlooked, the end results would be catastrophic.

Pod 042 eventually reached the conclusion that time was of essence so it couldn't waste it on lengthy explanations.

"[... This unit has reached the conclusion that unit 2B is attempting to perform self-destruction.]"

* * *

**Omake: An android in Chaldea**

"And here is the command room, now that you are a member of Chaldea you will often be called here 2B." Ritsuka grinned as she stepped in with Mash and 2B following.

As the android scanned the perimeter she enjoyed the current level of technology around her. It was still a far cry from what she was used to but it's way better compared to last time. "Quite impressive."

"Finally done with the tour for our newest member?" Romani Archiman got up from his seat and went to greet the newest addition to Chaldea.

"Yes doctor, we finished our tour without any issue." Mash nodded.

The doctor forced a smile at that, the security footage of EMIYA getting smacked around like a bitch tended to say otherwise but he chose to leave it at that and focus on the new servant. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ruler 2B, I am Romani Archiman, the acting director for Chaldea."

2B nodded and offered a military salute. "A pleasure."

"No need for any of that." Romani waved a hand in dismissal. "We are pretty much dependent on you servants so we try to get along with all of you."

Before 2B could remark on this, a woman appeared behind the doctor and pulled his head into an arm hold. An amused smile present on her face as she poked the redhead's cheek with her finger.

"Staring a lot at her clothes aren't you Romani?" She teased playfully, trying to get a jolt out of the doctor. "Does she tickle your fancy by any chance?"

"Give me a break Leonardo." Romani sighed and avoided getting caught up in her pace, which always ended badly for him. "I for one am glad that she is at least fully clothed unlike some of our other servants."

Romani knew there was just something wrong with how the clothes or rather lack thereof manifested with certain servants.

Boudica clothes were clearly missing important parts.

Nero Claudius' dress was exposing her rear and was transparent from her midriff down.

Carmilla looked like she was taken out of dominatrix fashion magazine.

Medb's clothes were more lingerie than battle gear.

Sanzang robe's were showing so much cleavage that it made people wonder if she really was a monk of all things.

The male servants were no exception though.

Leonidas was a prime example for the male side of things. The man was pretty much waltzing around in just a cape and speedo.

Those were just a few examples of the list of questionable fashion going on in Chaldea.

And he didn't even want to start on the nightmare that was the summer servants.

There was just only so much blue-balling a healthy male could take.

"Eh, that's no fun at all." Leonardo rolled her eyes, slightly pinching his cheek. "Thought she was in your strike zone considering your thing for online idols."

"Magi Mari is a pure maiden, don't bring her into this." Romani bravely defended his favorite idol. Besides Magi Mari was a bright youthful magical girl personality, not a gothic beauty like 2B appeared to be, so the comparison was unfounded if Romani could remark on it.

Leonardo nodded in dismissal and let go of the fuming man, shifting her focus back to their newest member while waving eagerly in greeting. "Hello there, I'm Chadea's very own resident genius Leonardo DaVinci-chan!"

2B took a good minute and just stared at DaVinci. "... Leonardo DaVinci is a woman?"

The self proclaimed genius brushed a brown lock to the side and smiled proudly. "Pretty surprising right?"

The former YoRHa android shook her head. "Not exactly, from what I noticed there seems to be quite a large number of servants whose gender do not match to recorded history."

Ritsuka made sure to brief her about the gender swap crisis going on in Chaldea.

DaVinci pouted at 2B's response, there was no fun in that.

"Arghhh!" A scream of pure frustration got the group's attention, the source coming from a man at a nearby screen.

2B's curiosity got the better of her and she walked to see what was the issue, the others following suit. "Is everything alright?"

"Nothing is alright!" The chaldea staff member shrieked and didn't even bother turning around to see who it was. "I've been trying to crack this data we got on some mysterious servants we encountered for hours and I can't make heads or tails of any of it."

2B took a peek and stared at the screen. It was understandable that the man was having issues, the data there was quite complex.

Complex for a human that is.

She placed a hand on the staff members shoulder, an old habit that got rubbed on her by a certain someone kicking in. "May I?"

"Suit yourself!" The man sighed and stepped aside, at this point he just wanted a break and let someone else struggle with this shit.

2B stood in front of the screen and took a good look at the data, her hands starting to type on the keyboard with incredible speed even for a servant.

A minute later she stepped aside and presented the now finished and archived data. "There you go."

"The fuck...? " The staff stuttered and fell from his seat in utter shock. "When?! How?! Why?!"

Everyone else present had similar reactions, even DaVinci had a sweat drop run down her face. "Seems like you have talent for this kind of work."

2B for one didn't really feel like she did much. "I was originally an AI based existence, it would be rather disappointing if I couldn't do something so simple."

It also didn't hurt that this level of data management was child's play for her.

"Is that so?" DaVinci hummed and a small glint was present in her eyes. Everyone present besides 2B took an involuntary step back, they knew that look she had, and things always turned out bad when they saw it. "How about joining our staff here, we could always use someone who knows what they're doing."

That proposal was quite interesting for 2B, while she is designed for combat her presence here might be more beneficial. However, she didn't have the last call in this. "That's not my decision to make."

The female android was staring at Ritsuka and waiting, the red haired girl finally understanding what her newest servant was on about. "Uhhh, I mean if you're fine with it then sure."

"It's decided then." Romani laughed all too slightly.

"Welcome aboard!" DaVinci cheered as she took 2B's hands and shook them, pausing as she got a closer look at the new Ruler. A mischievous smile formed as the artist flame in her just ignited. "Man, I just have to paint you."

"No nudes this time Leo…" Romani remarked from the side.

"Not making any promises!" DaVinci laughed heartily.

Ritsuka and Mash both sweat dropped as they saw the confused look 2B had.

It seemed like their newest member was starting to deal with Chaldea's daily madness.

* * *

**Author notes:**

Sorry about the delay... this was supposed to come out a while, but IRL problems caused the delay.

So a lot of people kept asking from what point in the game was 2B sent back to the past. Well here you go, the events take place right after ending A/B of the game and before the next part of the game starts.

I always considered ending A/B a turning point for 2B. So i had to wonder what could have happened if 9S didn't manage a last second save like he did in the game.

As you can see in this chapter, it was what broke her.

And if the situation was bad enough she reached her limit at the end of this chapter. Next chapter will really be a challenge for Shirou, that's for sure.

Lets see, this chapter I tried to link the nier timeline with FSN a bit, trying to justify and explain this and that, but i tried to not go ham with details and exposition. I know I'm probably stretching a lot of things and pretty much bs my way with how I'm trying to fuse the whole series into one.

The chapter on the mother of all cliffhangers, but don't hate me for it.

Hope it worked.

On a different note, hope you all are okay and manage to deal with all this Corona BS going on in the world.

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously review; I could use some constructive criticism.**


	10. Countdown

Walking had always been something she never gave much thought of.

Why would she?

It was a meaningless action, just a means of reaching one point to the other. If the distance was too great she would simply find an alternative means of transport in order to reach it.

That was all there was to it.

Yet... every step she now took felt as if it carried a great weight to it. Not in a physical sense, but more akin to what humans probably meant as a spiritual weight.

Yes, 2B was certain, this was what humans must have meant by the expression 'walking to the gallows'.

While the context itself wasn't entirely similar, the end result would be the same.

Her walk came to a halt, the former YoRHa agent scanning the area she had reached. Once her sensors confirmed that there weren't any humans within the vicinity, she leaned against a nearby tree and let out a strained sigh.

"This should be far enough." 2B muttered quietly as she gazed up at the moon. All of the populated buildings around the area had forced her to look for a location where she could see everything through without hurting anyone else.

When 2B left Shirou's house she didn't know of any location she could have headed off to. It was only after a few minutes of contemplating in front of the holographic map, that her systems showed, she eventually selected a secluded forest nearby yet far away from any human settlements.

With that issue out of the way, there was only one thing left to do.

The gynoid slowly pulled out her black box from its hidden compartment and stared at it in heavy contemplation.

So much precious data was stored inside this hand sized cube.

Yet, what truly mattered right now to her was it's security feature.

In order to protect the valuable data stored within them from falling into enemy hands, YoRHa had equipped them with high end explosives. Should the owners realize they have no means to survive or retreat from enemy forces, they were approved to self-destruct. A backup of their data would ensure their survival and thus be put in a new body to live and fight another day.

However that wouldn't be the case this time, this time using it would simply be a fast means to an end to everything. The explosion would erase all traces of the android. At the end of it all, nothing would remain, making it as if she never existed in the first place.

It was better this way.

She was never meant to belong here.

Being sent to this era, meeting Shirou, witnessing this world and the long lost humanity.

All of it was just a coincidence… an accident.

Something that was never meant to happen.

Her very existence here was a mistake.

It was time 2B corrected that mistake.

With a mental command the YoRHa android initialized the arming sequence. Contrary to what some may expect, an android couldn't just self-destruct on the spot, the energy had to be built up before it could be released.

That being said, there was a restricted self-destruct sequence that YoRHa agents could perform, a faster albeit less efficient version. With it they could cause an explosion on a smaller scale that while not as effective did leave the androids still functional, heavily damaged yes, but still functional.

There were many times when 2B had implemented both versions.

Each time that she did so, it led her to experience indescribable pain.

_No more. _

One last time and it will finally be over.

As the bar was loading the android stared at her shaking hands.

"How pitiful must I be?" She muttered coldly, feeling like there was a hollow cavity in her chest area. No matter how much she tried, there just wasn't anything. "This situation I find myself in is…"

Everything was like a bittersweet dream.

So bright and beautiful, like the light of a shooting star, yet so short-lived. Vanishing before you could truly have the chance to make a wish upon it.

It made 2B feel so bitter.

"... I have the chance to prevent the downfall of humanity, stop the trigger that led to the broken world that I know… and yet here I am trying to end myself."

At a fundamental level that would have been the logical course of action. She was crafted to fight and offer her services towards the betterment of humanity.

While there was a chance that the future may remain unchanged even if she prevented all the factors that caused it, she still had the duty as a YoRHa soldier to try and change the future.

Yes, that was the most logical action implemented into her very being.

And yet it was being currently overruled, logic getting overshadowed by the weight of the emotions she was experiencing. In spite of realizing how she was essentially condemning humanity by choosing to take no action to change it.

It made her chuckle brokenly, perhaps she just resented humanity that much. "I truly am selfish…"

Waves of repressed memories flooded through her mind as the loading bar quickly filled.

"... So many mistakes… so many regrets." Her lips quivered as the words struggled to come out. "9S… I can only hope that you, too will one day escape the never ending cycle."

She had managed to set herself free from it, but the price that had to be paid was far too great. All she could do was hope that 9S and the next 2B that will take her place as his partner will somehow find another way.

At this point that was all she had left.

"Initialize self-destruction sequence, timing... " 2B paused, seemingly unsure why the sudden hesitation appeared. Her teeth clicked in mild annoyance, there was no room for fear, not this time. "Five minutes."

_5:00_

"Begin countdown."

_4:59_

And it began…

Soon… very soon.

After so long… all of this unbearable pain will be gone, it will all finally be over.

She was well aware of that fact… yet it didn't stop her from trembling in fear.

_4:47_

Whatever awaited her at the end of all of this… 2B would tell herself that she was ready.

She closed her eyes and watched the countdown go on… hoping that this way, the fear would stop coursing through her.

"2B!"

Her eyes snapped open when she heard _his_ voice.

The female humanoid looked left and right, freezing as she saw something hurtling towards her direction. Said object soon hit a tree trunk and let out a pained groan, slowly lifting itself up and revealing that it was a person.

One that she had grown close to these past months.

2B took a moment to stare, blinking in disbelief a couple of times at the youth. "...Shirou?"

* * *

_A few minutes earlier_

Shirou went pale as Pod's words lingered in his mind. The boy broke into panic and grabbed onto the box-like android. "What do you mean 2B is going to self-destruct?!"

"[Self-destruct. A term used to define when an entity is-]"

"I know what self-destruct means!" Shirou uncharacteristically snapped, slightly shaking Pod back and forth. "What I want to know is _why_ she is trying to do it?!"

"[YoRHa unit 2B has previously experienced a state similar to what humans define as a 'mental breakdown'.]" Pod elaborated in its usual flat tone. "[She then proceeded to transfer ownership rights of this unit to you right before she left the perimeter of the estate. Her mental harmonics in accordance to her behavior led this unit to determinate a high probability of her attempting to self-destruct.]"

The boy froze in shock as his hands lost their grip on Pod, falling limply to his sides. A series of heavy and haggard breaths soon followed, Shirou struggling not to lose his composure.

The red head tried his best to keep a firm grip on himself, but couldn't keep his cool in the end.

_Dammit!_

The boy screamed as he started punching the nearby wall, a desperate attempt of venting all the unyielding frustration within him. "Why 2B?!"

One punch after the other, the boy kept pummeling the wall like it was the source of his misfortunes, yet each time his fists made contact with it, the image that he pictured in his mind was his own face.

How could this have happened?!

Was he so blind that he allowed this to happen?

… No.

Shirou knew that something was wrong with her, but chose not to do anything, thinking that he should take it slow and let 2B warm up to him.

This was happening because he chose to be so passive.

It was only after he lost his breath that the barrage on the wall was put on hold. The pain of his bloody scraped knuckles finally reaching him, acting like a wake up call of sorts. Shirou realized that as much he wanted to let loose all of this inner rage, _now_ was not the time for it.

"We have to stop her!" The boy wheezed and slowly picked himself up, ignoring the stabbing pain in his hands. He had to find her before it was too late. "Pod, is there any way to find 2B?"

"[Affirmative. This unit is capable of locating her via the signal of her black-box.]"

Shirou had no idea what was a black-box, but honestly he didn't care right now. "Do it quickly!"

"[Searching.]"

"Come on, come on!"

"[YoRHa 2B's black-box located. Displaying location.]"

A hologram was generated and Shirou took an involuntary step backwards at the image, this being the first time he witnessed such a thing. The youth was about to ask what this was but went silent when he recognized what he was seeing.

It was a map of Fuyuki.

On it there were two glowing spots. One he recognized as his home, while the other one was far away near the end of the map.

"That area is the forest at the outskirts of the city..." He muttered and did the math in his head, the results he got in the end were quite grim. "Damn, it's too far away!"

He had no means to get there in time, even if he were to miraculously find a cab this late at night, it still wouldn't be fast enough.

As the boy was burning his brain trying to find a solution, Pod 042 levitated in front of him. "[May this unit offer a potential solution?"]

"Anything! I'm all ears!"

"[This unit is featured with flight capabilities.]" The AI explained, floating up and down to demonstrate its point. "[Calculations show a high probability that by bypassing the street networks of the city via flight, a significant portion of time can be reduced in reaching unit 2B.]"

Shirou took a moment and thought about it. While the whole idea of flying there sounded a bit ridiculous in his mind, if he could fly all the way there, they really could save a lot of time and perhaps even reach her in time. This might be the only chance he had, and he was not going to waste it. "... How are we going to do this?"

"[Pursue.]" Pod declared as it slowly floated outside of the shed, with Shirou quickly trailing after him.

"Now what?" the boy asked completely restless.

"[Attach yourself to this unit and hold a firm grip on it.]"

The boy did as he was told and latched onto the box like machine. "Now whaaaaaa-?!"

Shirou didn't get to properly finish his sentence, as Pod 042 suddenly took flight up in the sky.

* * *

If Shirou had to list the craziest events in his life up until this point, this probably would be at the top of his list.

When Pod told him it could fly he expected something along the lines of just a bit up in the air, maybe a bit higher than the level of houses. The boy didn't expect the small metal box to take him way up in the sky at the same altitude of a freaking helicopter.

Though in hindsight it did make sense for it to go up that high, late as it was, it would have been really bad if someone saw him flying.

He really didn't want to start rumors that there was a real life Mary Poppins in Fuyuki.

Also another benefit was that being that high might have also helped muffle his constant screaming and reduce his chance of being heard.

The landing though was something that he was literally quite sore about. Pod had told him to prepare for deployment and by the time he realized what he meant Shirou's feet were already close to the ground, making it so he had to start running along the way. Eventually he let go Pod trying to bleed off the speed and slow down, but ended up tripping over a root, stumbling a few meters until he ultimately crashed into a nearby tree.

Pod also found this turn of events rather unexpected.

In normal circumstances it couldn't go that high or fast while having a person attached to it, being forced to glide most of the time only for short distances. However the only person who utilized it this way had been 2B, and with the occasional cases of 9S also doing it.

With Shirou it had been a matter of different body weight, the human possessing less than half the weight of a standard YoRHa model, allowing the pod to reach transport heights and speeds it usually was incapable of.

After everything was said and done, both the human and the pod managed to reach 2B in time.

Pod could now do very little at this point. Unless his current designated owner ordered him to interfere in any way, then it had no means of assisting.

Everything that follows will be decided by if Shirou Emiya is capable of convincing 2B to cease her attempt to terminate herself.

_4:28_

"... Shirou?" 2B muttered in shock, unable to understand this sudden turn of events. "H-How, what are you doing here?"

Shirou was silent at first, trying to put some order to his thoughts after the rough landing. The pain aside, while they did rush here, he didn't even consider what he was going to say to her.

As it stood, Shirou didn't know what he was supposed to even do in a situation like this.

The gynoid shook her head, trying to compose herself, struggling to comprehend what sort of actions had led to this turn of events. "No, how did you find me?"

_4:06_

Pod 042 floated behind Shirou, placing itself on his shoulder level, with the intent to offer clarification. "[Your locating was realized by this unit.]"

"Pod...?" 2B took a moment and thought about it, a scowl forming as she realized what happened. "I ordered you not to let Shirou follow me and you lead him here instead?!"

"[Affirmative.]" The pod acknowledged, unperturbed by his former partner's visible hostility. "[That order was implemented after the ownership rights of this unit have been officially transferred to the human Shirou Emiya, thus every order this unit received afterwards from YoRHa 2B were no longer a valid priority.]"

It was a simple matter of timing.

If 2B would have given that order before the transfer was finalized, Pod would have upheld it and never informed Shriou Emiya about what was occurring with 2B.

The main directive of a pod unit will always be support and consultation of the person they were assigned towards.

As long as their actions do not go against the regulations implemented by YoRHa, they will seek to offer their services to the best of their capacities.

The events that unfolded were but a simple chain of logic. With the rights transferred over to the human, it was clear to Pod what it had to do. "[This units main priorities are now those of Shirou Emiya, hence the locating and assisting in your retrieval which are his highest priorities at the moment.]"

2B took a moment to analyse this.

_That little-! _

If Pod would have been within her reach she would've been shaking him back and forth for what he just did.

Of all the things he could've done, it just had to be the one thing she wanted to prevent more than anything.

Now she was face to face with Shirou and the countdown to her self-destruction was well underway.

"2B…" The young human spoke slowly and calmly but his voice was firm and cold. "What are you even doing here?"

He knew why she was here, but he had to try and talk to her, attempting to calm her down before she did anything rash.

That was the only thing he could think off, but 2B had others thoughts entirely.

"Shirou…" muttering his name never felt this difficult, not even when her voice was malfunctioning and she could barely stutter. The words, why did it feel so difficult to say? "Please leave."

_3:56_

"Why?" His teeth grinded against each other as he tried to keep himself composed as his golden-brown eyes pierced into her. "So I can let you die?"

2B didn't previously see this kind of reaction from him, it wasn't a pleasant experience, but she couldn't back away now.

"... There's no other choice." Shirou could feel the tiredness from those weak whispers. It was a strange situation, he could tell that a part of 2B didn't want this. "I have to die."

_I have to die._

Those words would echo in his mind.

_Die_…

Static noise roared in the boys head.

_Not again. _

Many places on his body felt like they were getting scorched.

_He can't avert his eyes and walk away ever again. _

For the briefest of moments his vision started to flicker.

_He couldn't let that mistake repeat itself. _

In those moments, 2B wasn't surrounded by the forest they were in.

_What he paid last time for his actions, to this day he couldn't get back. _

He saw her surrounded by a sea of flames and death.

_If he did it once more… His heart would turn to glass and shatter. _

A haggard breath escaped the boy's lips, his eyes shaking in confusion, that 'thing' was over and everything was back to normal. His trembling hand grasped his damp face, in spite of wanting to take a moment to calm himself, Shirou had no time for such a thing. "You have to … How can you even say that?!"

To wish for your own death, the idea stirred something in the red haired youth..

He understood questioning your reason for being alive. That was something that he had struggled with understanding himself.

But not this...

"I'm broken Shirou…" 2B whispered slowly, staring at her shaking hands. "Not in body, but in my mind."

In spite of having no reason to, the shaking refused to stop. This only further proved her point, that she was slowly losing her sense of control. "It's slowly falling apart."

Shirou wanted to tell her off.

Say that she is wrong and that this is all of this is a mistake.

Yet… a part of him understood her.

The boy wasn't sure _why_ he was able to understand her, but deep down, it somehow was something he could empathize with.

Shirou could understand… but he couldn't accept it.

"So killing yourself is the solution?!" He shouted in frustration, barely clinging onto his self control, but he too could feel his emotions slipping. "You can't be serious, please let's talk about this!" He reached out to her arm fully extended, desperately wishing for her to take it.

2B felt so small as she stared at Shirou's extended hand.

It was injured… both his hands were. The skin on his knuckles were cut up and almost peeled off, a thick layer of coagulated blood was covering them, preventing further bleeding.

He did not have those wounds on him when she last saw him. That could only mean that he injured himself while she was away.

In spite of clearly requiring treatment he was instead here, seeking to help her with complete disregard to his own safety and health.

The boy was trying even now to help her in spite of her telling him to do otherwise. Just like how he stubbornly never gave up on repairing her even though it seemed like an impossible task.

That foolish yet unyielding will… it made her want to grasp the hand he was offering.

Her body was reacting by itself, right hand slowly reaching for the boy's.

Perhaps there was a chance…

Maybe if she talked things over… perhaps she could...

Her hand twitched, just as it was about to touch Shirou's fingers.

_No!_

Like a spring 2B jerked herself back, avoiding his touch, fearing that she would hurt him.

_She couldn't do it. _

Her salvation was a gamble, one that she didn't even have the strength to attempt.

As her arm fell weakly to her side, she stared at the ground, unable to look him in the eyes. "Forgive me… I wish there was another way… but my existence is now a danger to those around me. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but one day I will lose reason and control of myself and hurt those around me."

Just like the many rampaging machines that she destroyed.

How ironic it was that she was becoming like them.

"I owe you so much Shirou…" memories of their time together replayed in her mind, warmth laced together with pain rushing through her chest. "You worked so hard to repair me, to bring me back, and you showed me so many things in this new foreign world. It's because of that very kindness that you've shown me that I do not want you to get hurt on my account."

She lifted her face and looked at him, hoping it would be for the last time.

"So please…" A forced smile made its way on her features. "Leave before it's too late."

_2:21_

The youth was silent at first, a shadow looming over his eyes.

Without any more words Shirou covered the distance between himself and the female android. Latching onto 2B, tightening his arms around her in a bear hug, causing the android to erupt in panic.

"Shirou get away from me!" She almost screamed at him, the fear of what will happen shortly to him if he was near her forming in her mind. "If you don't, you will die alongside me!"

"I refuse!" The boy roared in denial, further tightening his arms around her. "If I can't stop you and have to die as well, then so be it!"

He can't just turn around and leave.

_Never again. _

He will never walk away from someone in need when there was even the smallest chance he could have done something to help them.

That was the one mistake he refused to repeat again.

If his life was the price he may be forced to pay, then he had no qualms with it.

What the boy wasn't considering was how this decision was affecting 2B. The white haired beauty growing all the more panicked as she tried to peel him off of her. "Let go!"

Shirou locked his hands behind her back to keep a tight hold on her, the constant struggling she was now doing making it quite challenging for him to hold on, but even so he refused to let go. "No!"

_2:09_

Cold fear overcame the YoRHa android as she saw how little time was left. This couldn't go on, she had to put a stop to it, even if it meant hurting him. "I'm sorry!"

2B took hold of the arms around her back and grasped them, applying superhuman strength to them. The pain shot all the way to Shirou's mind causing his grip to weaken, giving 2B the opportunity to shove him aside with her hand, sending the young Emiya rolling into a nearby tree trunk. "Gahh!"

Shirou tried to ignore the pain and get back on his legs, but his vision was shaken from the previous impact.

The very sight of the boy getting back up inflicted a type of fear in 2B that she was not accustomed to.

This was frustrating, she made sure to put enough force into her push so that the impact would knock him out. However, it seemed that Shirou was much more resilient than she was led to believe.

Perhaps more force was required for this… disabling him was also an option. That would be quite easy all she had to do was-

No!

2B vehemently refused to harm Shirou anymore than she already had.

Hurting Shirou any further was not an option!

If that was the case her only alternative was running as far away from him as possible, hoping that the blast won't reach him.

The android turned tail and started to dash away at top speed.

A loud snapping sound was immediately heard, a wave of agony suddenly assaulted 2B's leg, causing her to tumble down. The gynoid gritted her teeth in a mixture of pain and annoyance.

How could she forget that her leg wasn't fully repaired?

While the repairs on it had progressed and she could now walk unbothered, it was that alone, she could only walk. The reattached artificial nerves were still very fragile and still had to be reinforced and encased.

Moderate movement wouldn't cause any sort of stress to them, but the sudden full power dash she just attempted had caused them to snap.

The limb was now aching and unresponsive.

She had just ruined months of work and repairs on her leg.

While it didn't matter since she would die shortly, Her current crippled state was stopping her from moving away from Shirou.

The boy who was currently limping his way to her.

The red head ignored the pain and the pounding sensation repeating in his head, leaning on nearby trees as he struggled to get closer to her. Despite the battered state he was in he refused to stop as he continued making his way forward to 2B.

Somewhere along the line Shirou realized that this must have been a bad sign. He could feel blood dripping down on his neck, everything around him felt hazy and painful.

Was he perhaps concussed?

The impact made his head feel as if everything was muddled together.

This realization only added more salt to an open wound. He already didn't know how to stop 2B, but this incoherent state only made things worse as it hampered his thoughts.

It was only when he saw the white haired female tumble down and struggle to get up that an idea struck him.

Perhaps it was a moment of genius, or maybe it was just desperation, but he realized that there might be someone else who may know of a way to stop her. Turning his head, he shouted at the box-like machine that had been observing everything. "P-Pod is there any way for you to stop her?!"

The small android unit shifted to face Shirou and analysed the options presently available to it. Given the behavior shown up until this point by the human Shirou Emiya it concluded that methods of incapacitating 2B via physical harm were not viable options. Furthermore most of this unit's battle abilities were in need of reconfiguration after the power surge struck it and disorganized its data banks.

There was also a high probability that unit 2B may react violently if provoked given her current mental state, which was something that had to be avoided, for Pod units are not capable of defeating battle units such as 2B in direct combat.

As it stood only non physical alternatives were to be evaluated. "[Hacking is a viable option.]"

Shirou didn't really know what hacking was all about, all he knew was stuff from movies, like taking control of a computer and making it do what you wanted. "Will it stop her?"

"[A low probability.]" Pod 042 stated, YoRHa androids were featured with high-end firewalls to protect them from enemy hacking, and the pod units weren't specifically designed for this action either. "[However, given the readings of unit 2B's current mental harmonics, she is presently more susceptible to it.]"

An androids state of mind often affected their resistance to enemy hacking. Should it be weakened enough, they could be hacked whereas they would normally be able to resist it.

Shirou shook his head as 2B was back on her feet and trying to run away again. As it stood, he didn't really have any other choice. "Do it, before it's too late."

"[Affirmative!]"

The order was given, and the pod executed it.

Shirou could hear a small buzzing sound from the pod, a sphere of light was generated in front of it. Small balls of light immediately erupted from it and rushed towards 2B, seemingly getting absorbed into her body upon contact.

2B seemed surprised at first by what was happening, she however did not get the chance to comment upon it.

What followed instead was an ear-piercing scream that filled the dark forest. 2B having fallen back to her knees while clawing at her head.

Panic overtook Shirou as he witnessed this. "Pod what are you doing to her?!"

"[Hacking, as per your orders.]" The support unit replied unperturbed by what it was doing.

"It's hurting her!" The red head demanded in rage at what he was seeing, he wanted to save 2B not this!

"[A side effect of the hacking.]" The pod still didn't see the issue with its current action.

Pain was a temporary experience, termination with no back up in place was a permanent one.

It was a simple statement of fact.

There was no need for further debate or time for hesitation.

As long as it managed to successfully hack into 2B and deactivate her, the pain that she is currently experiencing will be nothing more but an unpleasant memory.

Although this method was one that Pod 042 did not want to implement in spite of its necessity.

While it did not perceive the concept of emotion the same way as other android models did, it was aware of the intricacies involved.

The capacity of an AI life form to experience emotion was considered by them both a gift and a curse.

It left them exposed to the concept of 'pain'.

To them, hacking was equivalent to one of the most excruciating forms of physical torture. An unbearable violation and abuse of their very own minds.

This was what Pod was currently subjecting 2B towards as it attempted to deactivate her.

2B was clawing at her head to stop the pain, all the while simultaneously implementing the anti-hacking protocols… but it didn't help with the pain.

_Out…_

Needles… thousands of searing needles… piercing into her skull… as if twisting and melting her insides.

_Get out…_

Her body squirming and convulsing violently on the ground, limbs twitching and bending uncontrollably.

_Get out…!_

Hands latching on a nearby tree trunk, smashing her head against it. Again and again, the pain from her actions a gentle caress in comparison to the one raging within her mind.

_GET OUT!_

2B roared and static energy erupted forth from her, surging and striking Pod 042.

"Pod!" Shirou shouted as he ran, stumbling next to the now fallen machinery. "Are you okay?!"

The small android attempted to move but only one of its arms was responding. A quick diagnostic located the source of the problem. "[Negative. Unit 2B has overwritten my hacking and reversed the process, most of my functions are currently frozen. Will require time to restart the systems.]"

Shirou swallowed a dry lump of air as he realized he lost the support of the pod. Yet a part of him was actually glad, it meant 2B didn't have to be subjected to whatever that hacking thing did to her anymore.

If torturing her was the only means Pod could help, then he will just have to find some other solution by himself.

As Shirou watched over the trembling and gasping form of 2B he clenched his fists and began walking towards her, eliciting a strained gasp from the blindfolded woman. "N-No! Stay away!"

The youth refused to listen and continued his march, determined to make 2B see reason. "I won't do that no matter how much you want me to!"

2B had attempted to stand up and run again, her body a shaken mess from the hacking attempt. She tripped over an above ground tree root, falling against its trunk. A shadow loomed over her as she looked up.

Shirou was next to her now and placed his hands on both sides next to her head, cutting off her paths of escape. He stared at her and his face grew dark with pain and disappointment in himself.

She was injured, or at least he thought she was…

Patches of skin were peeled off her face and the metallic surface underneath was exposed. Most likely when she was smashing her head against that tree.

This just couldn't continue.

_0:42_

As she realized how little time there was left, all sense of control she had felt as if it had crumbled away. "P-Please... just go…" she almost cried out, her voice unable to even shout anymore. "I beg you Shirou… I don't want you to die."

Time was running out… or at least that was 2B kept repeating in her mind.

In truth, it was already too late.

The explosion that would take place will cover over an extended area. Shirou wouldn't be able to outrun the blast radius with the speed a normal human was capable of.

It was too late for him to run away and save himself. Her savior will die together with her.

2B desperately wanted to avoid witnessing that at the very least. It would have been better if she simply incapacitated Shirou from the start.

Breaking his legs would have been a fast and efficient solution. Choking him until he lost consciousness was another method.

The mechanical maiden paused and reflected.

She truly was a broken being if that was truly how she thought was the solution.

As she was about to force out a scream, a pair of hands wrapped around the sides of her head. Shirou had pulled her close to him so she could see him dead in the eyes.

While he couldn't see hers, the boy knew for sure that 2B could see his.

"How do you think I feel?!" Frustration mixed with panic roared, the boy's face unable to control his mouth from quivering. "Do you think that I'm okay with you dying?!"

It wasn't just a matter of someone dying.

This was 2B.

No matter what she would tell him, Shirou knew that deep down this wasn't what she wanted.

He saw it, the many times when she showed pain, the times when she would stare longingly in the air. It was like a weight was pressing down on her, only growing more unbearable as time passed.

Existence itself was a torture for her, and she wanted to put an end to it.

Yet… Shirou knew that this wasn't the only thing 2B was able to experience. Android or not, 2B had shown many times emotions beyond those of simply suffering.

Curiosity towards unknown objects and modern customs.

Fascination at the new world around her.

Bewilderment at the many humans that would walk past her as they moved about in public.

Those may have been small things, but they still had some weight to them. Someone that had truly given up on everything wouldn't have expressed those emotions.

But above all else.

Shirou had grown attached to her. The young man was quite unsure of what to call this weird thing they had going on between them, but he was sure of one thing.

He wanted 2B to find happiness and smile.

And the young Emiya swore he will help her reach it, no matter what.

_0:19_

_Why?_

2B wanted to scream that word.

_Why?_

Her life was artificial, expendable, merely a replication. Something that wasn't real to being with.

_Why?_

Fake's lack true value, so by logic one shouldn't try so hard to preserve them.

_Then why?_

The android's face contorted in pain, her lower lip quivering as 2B tried to hold back the emotions that wanted to so badly go out of control.

_Why did he care so much?_

Words struggled to be formed, her mouth shaking as she tried to make them heard. "B-But I am an android, I-"

Shirou pulled her even close, their foreheads colliding in the process. "I. Don't. Care!"

Amber like eyes stared into the blue ones of 2B, hidden behind her visor.

There were so many things she just couldn't understand. One such thought was how such normally warm eyes were able to give such an intense glare.

It was like they were a pair of blades, ready to cut away at the bonds that held her captive in this sea of swirling emotions.

2B truly couldn't understand this human before her.

In spite of Shirou saying he did not care about such reasons, 2B had different thoughts altogether.

If she had to die, then so be it. The idea mattered very little to her.

_0:05_

In a single moment something changed, like a shock impulse surging through her body.

Dread crept over the android as the countdown was nearing its end.

She already knew this.

They will die… and all her pain will finally be over.

Yet, it was only now that it finally was truly comprehended.

She will die…

Together with Shirou...

'_Don't worry, I'll help you!'_

Shirou…

'_Well, it's a pleasure to meet you 2B.'_

No…

_'Unlike me, humans don't come back when they are gone.' _

No!

'_So I just tried my best hoping that in the end I would be able to save you.'_

No! No! No! NO!

'_I'll be there for you…'_

Not like this!

She wouldn't allow it!

Teeth grinded against each other as her insides felt like they were getting twisted and charred.

All thought processes came to a halt and she reacted by instinct, shouting in a mad rush. "Emergency protocol 9401! Abort all active sequences!"

_0:01_

…

There was a moment of eerie silence, the android having gone completely still in the boy's arms.

2B stood still, watching the internal timer.

_0:01_

It stopped…

No… she stopped it?

Her body lost its sense of strength giving up on her, making her tumble down.

Luckily for her Shirou was able to support her with his body, holding her in his arms.

_Dammit._

* * *

**Insert Ost- Never meant to belong**

* * *

_Dammit all..._

The mechanical maiden was overcome with a series of contradicting emotions. There was disappointment at herself for being unable to see her demise through to the end… and yet for some reason she also felt a sense of relief that she didn't expect.

Still, she wasn't sure if the relief was because Shirou was safe or because she also was still alive.

2B just didn't know.

This uncertainty only further frustrated her.

All that 2B had left were the tears that she was unable to hold back.

Shirou at some level realized what had just happened. His legs growing weak as he understood just how close 2B was to dying.

He fell to his knees and dragged 2B with him, so many thoughts and emotions were rushing in his mind at this moment but he paid them little attention.

The only thing he cared about at the moment was giving the emotional support 2B no doubt needed badly.

Shirou pulled her closer and gently rested her chin on his shoulder. He said nothing, not really knowing how he could ease her pain.

He simply embraced her in silence.

The young Emiya wasn't sure how much time had passed before he finally spoke, his voice tired and soft. "... For a moment I thought you were gonna die."

She didn't respond immediately, taking her time to find the strength to speak. "...It would have been better if I did die."

"2B…" his hands tightened around her shoulders ever so slightly.

"I'm scared Shirou…" 2B muttered weakly. "I do not know what I am supposed to do anymore."

Her hands made their way on the boy's back, tugging on his shirt. "This lack of knowing my purpose, of having a firm grasp of myself… it's like something is consuming me from the inside."

She had seen it before, witnessing the end result that may very be her own.

Just like the machines that separated from their network.

In an attempt to obtain a sense of individuality they severed their connection that kept them all as part of a greater hive mind system.

While it did allow machines to take decisions as individual entities, it came at a price.

What was their purpose now?

Were they supposed to study humanity?

To imitate their customs perhaps?

To form small communities of individuals?

To replicate the concept of family?

To simply destroy all they come across?

Those were some of the answers that the machines 2B encountered had reached.

Yet, none of them resounded with her.

Why would they, given how all of them led to bitter endings?

Even so… having the wrong answer was still better than having none at all.

That lack of a concrete objective eventually led for many of them to slowly lose control of themselves and devolve into mindless killing machines.

A notion that made 2B's hands shake in fear.

"It terrifies me…" her hands tightened so strongly on his shirt, as if it was a life line that kept her from sinking into an ocean of despair. "It makes me feel like I will lose track of who I am and do something I cannot take back."

"...2B." Her name never felt so hard to say for the young Emiya.

"I'm tired… tired of all this pain…" 2B finally admitted, unable to keep these emotions hidden any longer. "I just want it all to be over… is it too much to ask? "

_It will be fine._

Shirou desperately wanted to say those words to her, but he was unsure if he could tell them to her without lying. As it stood he had no answer to give her, no means of making her pain go away.

More than anything he wanted to save the girl in his arms, but didn't know _how _he could do it.

Once again he was unable to make a difference when it truly mattered the most.

No...

Shirou couldn't lie to her, and he couldn't lie to himself anymore. This isn't about what he could do, if there was any hope for her, it came down to whether or not she could find the tiniest trace of strength to reach for it.

He slowly pulled away leaving enough distance between them so 2B could look directly at his face, a foreign look of exhaustion and pain present on the boy's face.

"I'm sorry 2B... I can't make the pain go away." Shirou admitted in a grim tone, the very fact that he even spoke those words feeling like whips on his backs. "But I can try at the very least to help you overcome it."

Shirou bitterly accepted that he couldn't fight her battle, all he was allowed to do was offer moral support.

Inwardly the boy swore to do whatever he could to help her, but in the end it all came down to 2B not giving up.

His head leaned down and was shaking ever so slightly.

"Just give me the chance 2B, let me help you... so please… don't give up 2B."

2B stood motionless and stared at the first human she had ever met.

Once again he extended his hand out to her.

Yet she still couldn't take it.

A part of her felt like she had lost that right for hurting Shirou in spite of his trying to help her.

… Or perhaps she was simply too afraid to take it, fearing she will once again hurt him.

She couldn't take his hand, yet that didn't mean that she wouldn't accept it.

"You fool…" she whimpered, her hands covering her face to hide away her pain and tears. The mask that she held on for so long being too fractured to hide them anymore. "You kind fool…"

In spite of wearing her visor, she felt the need to hide her face from the world.

Shirou took a long breath and accepted things as they were. As optimistic as he was, the boy was aware that this kind of problem would not be solved by just saying a few encouraging words.

2B needed time to sort through all of this.

And this time he won't leave her to shoulder the weight of the world by herself.

With a small nod the boy forced out a weak smile. "Come on 2B… let's go back my-, to our home."

* * *

**Omake: A thick NP**

This was bad.

Ritsuka just wanted to go back to her room and have EMIYA make her some desserts.

When the Chaldea staff located a miniature singularity and were dispatched to deal with it, the Chaldea master was hoping that it wouldn't be too crazy. She saw it as a good opportunity to see what the new servant 2B was capable of.

However only did she and Mash get split up from 2B upon arrival, but before they knew it they were surrounded by sea fiends… or as she called them, tentacles monsters.

FUCKING TENTACLE MONSTERS.

Ritsuka didn't know what was creepier, their mouths filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, the hazardous slime covering their bodies, or the way their tentacles seemed to throb whenever they were very close to her and Mash.

Yep, she wasn't touching that. She wasn't curious to see if the hentai that Teach was reading was in any way accurate.

Her expanding list of traumas aside.

The real issue was the numbers that surrounded them. As reliable as Mash was, even she couldn't deal with this many enemies.

When things looked their bleakest however, 2B had managed to somehow regroup with them. While assisting them in dealing with their current monster infestation, the newest member of Chaldea had requested authorization to use her noble phantasm.

Ritsuka instantly accepted and did as 2B instructed, providing her with prana but at the same time supplying Mash with enough energy to ensure their protection.

Before the red haired master could register or hear what 2B was planning, an explosion of epic proportions suddenly enveloped the surrounding area.

When the dust had cleared everything in their vicinity had been incinerated… yet she couldn't see 2B anywhere.

"Senpai…" Mash muttered slowly as she grasped Ritsuka's trembling hand.

Dark thoughts quickly loomed in the master's mind, the more she failed to locate her servant. There were noble phantasms that came at heavy costs, some of them even requiring the sacrifice of the servants' very own life to work.

Arash Kamangir being a prime example of this.

"2B!"

So it wasn't far-fetched that Ritsuka believed her servant had perished.

"Y-Yes?"

"... 2B?" Both Ritsuka and Mash slowly lifted up their eyes and they went wide in shock as they saw the android hover in the air with her box-like robot. "Y-You're alive?!"

With a loud thud the gynoid landed in front of her master and offered her report. "Heavily damaged… but still relatively functional."

A smile spread across Ritsuka's face and was one step away from tackling and hugging 2B. But something suddenly became quite apparent.

"Eh…?"

The master and shield servant both froze as they saw the 'state' in which 2B was currently in.

In spite of wanting to know how her noble phantasm actually worked and how she was still alive, a different thought altogether was bothering her right now.

Mash was having similar thoughts, but the Demi-servant didn't voice them out and instead chose to look away while sporting an intense blush on her face.

After a long and awkward pause Ritsuka finally spoke. "2B?"

"Yes?"

"You just exploded right?"

"Indeed."

A lone finger was lifted and slowly pointed at the lower part of the androids dress. "Then why did only your bottom part of your dress disappear?"

2B looked down at her dress and confirmed that the skirt section of her dress was indeed gone, causing her white leotard to be completely exposed. "This always happens."

"Always?" Ritsuka rubbed her temples and tried to get her head around this notion. "And you see nothing wrong with it?"

The android tilted her head all too confused. "No."

Ritsuka's eye twitched strongly.

Androids were weird.

Though, on the bright side.

Thick Thighs save lives!

* * *

**Author notes:**

Well it seems that Shirou had managed to reach our favorite android waifu. Nothing unexpected, but he didn't technically manage to save her… at least not yet.

I tried making a bit of conflict this chapter but didn't want to go too ham with it.

I know that some are complaining how the plot doesn't seem to be moving, but it can't be helped. In any case, I think I have 1 or 2 chapters left before I will start moving forward timeline wise.

Also for those of you that are interested I've recently started a P(a)treon.

I'm not making it with the idea of 'pay to read' not at all, I hear some people have done it and I think it's a dick move.

In my case, it would mostly be to show support, and motivate me a little.

If there's anything extra that I will offer for in return for pledging it's perhaps artwork. You know fanarts of my stories, pin ups, and other stuff done by me or commissioned from other artists.

So if you have some pocket change to spare give me a visit at P(a)treon dot com / raysdesk (be sure to erase that space between each word)

Speaking of which, a shout out to its new members:** Lastmanstanding, Roflarius, AndresGutierrez, Derek, Pietya, Adrian Zachary**

* * *

**Don't forget to review... no seriously, review; I could use some constructive criticism.**


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